Six US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been tracked arriving in the United Kingdom, with the jets inbound to RAF Lakenheath supported by aerial refuelling tankers routing into RAF Mildenhall, open-source flight tracking data shows.
The movement was highlighted by UK Defence Journal senior editor Jon, who analysed publicly available tracking information to identify the aircraft and their support tankers.
Alongside the Raptors, data indicated movements by KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, part of the logistics and refuelling package that allows deployments of long-range fighter aircraft beyond North America. The arrivals at UK bases comes of course during a period of heightened transatlantic military activity, with additional US airpower and strike assets being positioned as part of a wider operational posture aimed at Iran.
Earlier this week reporting elsewhere had also showed the United States has been reinforcing its military presence in areas of strategic interest tied to rising tensions with Iran. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are operating in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers and aviation elements, as part of what has been described as a significant force presence close to Iranian waters.
A second carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been ordered to prepare for deployment to the region, potentially placing two carrier strike groups within operational reach. The move follows US leaders indications that force posture is being adjusted as part of deterrence and contingency planning in response to Iranian actions and rhetoric.
In parallel, reporting elsewhere has also noted deployments of other air assets toward the Middle East, including additional fighter jets being repositioned to support broader operations. These developments coincide with indirect nuclear talks held in Geneva between US and Iranian officials, even as Iranian military drills were reported in and around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
I hope Starmer has the balls to tell them to f**k off when it comes to using British bases including Diego Garcia. Let’s see if Qatar is all up for bombing Iran from its bases or he can turn to Israel.
After the Iranian regimes murder of thousands of pro democracy protesters, I think it would be morally repugnant to try and prevent the American’s from bombing their military or nuclear program some more. But then again, this is the same man that rewarded Hamas by recognising a Palestinian state, where as smarter European states e.g. Germany didn’t do something that stupid
Not trying to stop them doing it I just don’t want to get dragged into a war because Trump wants to deflect from the Epstein files.
If they use Diego Garcia it means the UK is effectively declaring war on Iran.
We have more than enough to worry about in Europe now the US has made its position clear and stopped supporting Iran.
Considering how one sided the Israel and USA thumping of Iran was the last time around, I doubt they would need our ever “modest” capabilities to back them up.
Let them have at it and hopefully some of the mullahs become collateral damage
Everything you just said is pure hyperbole. Calm down and enjoy the one-sided bombing campaign that may follow. Thinking Iran is capable of waging anything like a war with the UK is silly.
So just pretend that Iran has no involvement or agency with Islamic fundamentalist terrorism in the UK…
All the more reason for the mullah’s to be removed. And the islamic fundamentalists need to all be removed from the UK as well.
wow you believed the anti iranian propaganda… can you cite any actual sources (without saying google it) that dont link back to US or Israeli ‘human rights groups’ that are pushing that narrative?
and the BS that recognising a Palestinian state is somehow rewarding terrorism – classic israeli talking points…
how does the boot taste and how much did you get for posting this?
Uh huh, tell me are you a cousin fucking muslim or one of those bored middle class terrorist supporters.
Help me keep my tally accurate 👍
Halfwit, you’re always around for key events… What’re they doing? 😀
As much as I dislike the fundamentalist Governnent in Iran for the US government to treat the U.K. and Europe like something they have scrapped off their shoe, while using our bases is beyond the pale. We are also inviting reprisal attack on the U.K.
The long standing RAF Operation Shader against Islamic State entities would probably be sufficient pretext for Islamic fundamentalist terrorism in the UK so I doubt that being a USAF staging post would make much difference to the threat level. That’s a long standing arrangement not a new development.
Since the USAF fighter wing at RAF Lakenheath has F-35As it’s puzzling why USAF would also deploy F-22, when the Carrier Strike Groups in the region also have F-35Cs as well.
Just doing the transit puts a lot of flight hours on those F-22s so maintenance hours and reduced service life.
Maybe there’s an element of FOTUS showing Europe what USA can do around that Munich Security Council meeting.
It is time the tangerine **** realised their are consequences to his actions .
Sadly the US justice system is so corrupt that SCOTUS justices can do politics not their job which is Jurisprudence according to the three coequal branches of government. Their failure to uphold the Constitution enables that man to believe he is above the law, not just in his performance of Office of President but ia also presumed to be immune to prosecution within the outer boundary of that Office, according to SCOTUS. Thus bribes from other nations are fine and no threat to the reputation of the United States!
Lack of accountability is a feature not a bug, apparently, enabled by 77mn poorly educated Americans so no jail time for the 34 x convicted fraudster and proven rapist who still hasn’t paid his dues despite claiming to be a billionaire.
Only Constitutional reform to permanently avoid foreign interference happening again will enable the eventual trust and alliance rebuilding in the US national security interest.
Weak US media regulation is a good place to start…
No issues from me, that is using the UK bases, as any decent person should see past their dislike of the orange man and understand the danger and the previous and continued efforts by Iran to cause chaos in the west and Isreal! But, alas the orange man will be here then he will go, but our close cooperation and friendship with the US forces will continue! Don’t let your dislike of the orange clown prevent efforts at helping and supporting others!
But, the other me says that our record in regime changing regimes in countries which don’t really want or are prepared for, regime change, has been pretty wank, and I fear it’s a case of here we go again! Maybe we could do it peacefully and swap Starmer for the Ayatollah, at least we may get a bit more freedom of speach and opinion that way!
Better get those F22 over to Iran to defend US forces from the vast Iranian air force. This is all just theatre and makes no military sense whatsoever. The next C5 into Europe or Quatar will presumably have the band aboard, the PX staff BBQ and the Balinese dancing girls.