US Military Air Activity Increases

(MENAFN) As strains between the United States and Iran persist, there has been a notable rise in US military aviation movements, primarily involving transport planes and aerial refueling units.

A review conducted by Anadolu with the help of Flightradar24, a flight monitoring platform, revealed an unusual spike in US military aircraft flying from Europe toward destinations in the Middle East on May 2.

The majority of the deployed planes were C-17A Globemaster III cargo aircraft, each able to transport roughly 77 tons of equipment along with approximately 100 troops.

Other aircraft identified included the Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy — the largest cargo plane in the US Air Force, capable of carrying around 127 tons — as well as the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, a tanker aircraft manufactured by Boeing and utilized for both aerial refueling and long-range transport missions. These planes were observed operating across European and Middle Eastern airspace.

Reports indicate that no fewer than 12 transport aircraft were on their way to the Middle East, with several taking off from bases in Germany.

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft were also part of the deployment, with at least four tanker planes seen flying over Israel and surrounding regions.

In addition, a US signals intelligence (SIGINT) surveillance aircraft, the Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint, was detected conducting operations in the airspace near Bahrain.

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