The major USAF operation that saw the involvement of more than 20 aerial refueling tankers appears to be concluding.
Over the past hours, at least 20 tankers took off from various bases across Europe—including Prestwick (UK), Morón (Spain), and Ramstein (Germany)—to support what can now be confirmed as a large-scale redeployment of U.S. fighter jets to the Middle East.
Among the most visible movements, a group of at least 12 F-35A Lightning II fighters (c/s TABOR) departed RAF Lakenheath (UK) heading toward the Middle East. While there is no official confirmation, the scale of the aerial refueling effort strongly suggests that additional fighter aircraft, most likely F-15s, may have also been involved in this operation.
3 U.S. Air Force KC-135s seen departing RAF Lakenheath in England earlier this morning, each towing 4 F-35A Lightning IIs heading towards the Middle East.
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 17, 2025
Image credit goes to @TallGlenn85 pic.twitter.com/dFP1UM68cS
Air-to-air refueling (AAR) took place over the northern Tyrrhenian Sea and—more intensively—over the Ionian Sea east of Sicily, with tankers forming prolonged holding patterns to support the transiting fighters.
After completing their missions, part of the tanker fleet returned to their European bases, while a second group continued eastward, likely to forward-deployed positions in the Middle East. These aircraft are no longer visible via open-source tracking platforms, indicating that their transponders have been turned off or that they have entered coverage gaps.
Given the scale and logistics of this deployment, it is possible that additional waves of fighters and support aircraft may follow in the coming days as the U.S. continues to reinforce its presence in the region amid heightened tensions.
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