Over 100 fighters and other military aircraft, about fifteen warships, missile launchers, defensive systems, operational support centers. The air firepower that Donald Trump’s US is deploying in the Middle East, while the president threatens the possibility of intervention against Iran in the event of a failure to reach an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear plans, is the greatest since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, which like other media has analyzed in detail, on the basis of military sources and open tracking systems, the scope and characteristics of this “big armada” (as Trump himself called it).
According to various analyses, it is an arsenal capable of allowing a prolonged military campaign and not just an isolated attack. It has been learned in recent days that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will also be part of this deployment: according to the New York Times, its task will be to protect Israel from a possible attack by Iran, and its arrival in the area is expected over the weekend.
These are the main American military assets and instruments already operational in the area:
* AIRCRAFT CARRIER: In addition to the Gerald Ford, currently indicated on its way to the Mediterranean, the US has mobilized the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier for the Middle East, which is already deployed in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman, south of Iran.
* OTHER SHIPS: Both Ford and Lincoln are accompanied by three destroyers each. In addition, there are other US warships in the maritime areas surrounding the Middle East and Gulf region. In total, at least 13 naval vessels have already been mobilized, according to the New York Times.
* BASES: The focal point for the movements underway in the region is the Muwaffaq Salti air base, located in Jordan. Other bases hosting American military aircraft are located in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. As for the neighboring areas, the US has used bases in the United Kingdom, Greece and Bulgaria in recent days, reports Sky News. In addition, US aircraft are also present in Akrotiri in Cyprus, Italy, the Azores, Spain and the Diego Garcia base on Chagos Island (Pacific).
* AIRCRAFT: Movements of US F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, F-35 and B2 bombers, as well as KC-130 air refueling tankers and reconnaissance aircraft have been tracked in recent weeks. In particular, F-35s and F/A-18s are hosted on the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.