Donald Trump’s imposing Army en route to the Middle East, largely already deployed in the area, has devastating firepower, and on paper also enjoys adequate defensive systems to respond to the announced retaliation of the Ayatollah regime in the event of an American attack on the Iranian Islamic Republic.
THE SOLDIERS
The US forces in the Middle East are following the directives of Centcom, the US central command led by Admiral Brad Cooper, who in recent weeks arrived in the area, stopping in Tel Aviv, the other probable target of a Pasdaran military response. The force is estimated at between 40,000 and 50,000 soldiers spread across bases in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman. Added to them are the almost 6 thousand personnel of the battle group of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
THE SHIPS
There are about ten naval warships and they include the Lincoln squadron, which also has the latest generation stealth F-35cs on board, the destroyers USS McFaul, USS Mitscher, USS Roosevelt, and six other warships of smaller classes. Yesterday, the guided missile destroyer USS Delbert D Black was last located while sailing through the Suez Canal towards the Gulf. Added to this massive force are nuclear attack submarines.
THE PLANES
Air forces in the area are unspecified: the movements of F-15 fighters and dozens of cargo and supply planes arriving in the Middle East have been monitored, while spy planes and drones have been observed on tracking sites. As far as we know, the White House can count on F-15E Strike Eagles, F-22 Raptors, F-35, MQ-9 Reapers, RC-135W Rivet Joint, RQ-4 Global Hawk at bases in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The B-2 bombers, used in the attack on Iranian nuclear sites after a record flight from the United States, are potentially deployable within hours. Each B-2 stealth bomber (the US has 21) can carry two 30,000 lb (1,360 kg) bunker buster bombs, capable of hitting at a depth of around 60 metres.
THE MISSILES
Then there is the missile arsenal to take into account: on the offensive front there are Tomahawk cruise missiles available, which can be launched from ships and submarines, precision-guided munitions from aircraft to hit air defenses, missile sites, nuclear plants, not to mention the Aegis systems. The United States then intends to deploy one or more Thaad missile defense systems: acronym for ‘Terminal high-altitude area defense’, it consists of six rocket launchers with 8 missiles each, a radar station, a fire control station and a supply station. The system’s interceptor missiles have a range of 150-200 kilometers.