Strategic movements in the Mediterranean skies: four American F-35s reach Israel escorted by an aerial refueler

In the last few hours, we tracked an interesting deployment of air forces belonging to the United States Air Force (USAF) across the Mediterranean Sea, with the final destination being the Middle East.

According to radar tracking data and intercepted radio communications, a formation consisting of fifth-generation fighters and a refueling aircraft completed a transfer from the United Kingdom to Israeli airspace.

The aircraft involved

The operation featured a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker aerial refueler (registration code 63-7996), operating with the radio callsign FIST22. The aircraft provided logistical support and in-flight refueling to a squadron of four Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, identified with the callsigns TABOR81 to TABOR84. The fighters, according to the reported information, carried the “HL” insignia, a tail code that typically identifies aircraft assigned to Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

The route and radio communications

As highlighted by the tracking map, the route originated in the United Kingdom (London area). The group flew in formation through French airspace and down the Mediterranean Sea, passing south of Italy and Greece, heading east towards the coast of the Levant.

The most precise details on the final phases of the flight emerged thanks to the monitoring of radio communications reported by the specialized account “Armchair Admiral” on X (formerly Twitter). At 11:46, the FIST22 refueler and the four F-35As were heading east, coordinating with Nicosia (Cyprus) air traffic control.

A few minutes later, the “release” phase of the escort took place: at 11:52, the FIST22 crew confirmed that the formation of the four fighters (TABOR 81-84) would continue its journey independently, entering the Tel Aviv FIR (Flight Information Region) in Israel.

The return to the logistics base

Once the safe entry of the fighters into the destination airspace was ensured, the KC-135R “FIST22” concluded its mission. The refueling aircraft made a turn over the eastern Mediterranean to return to RAF Mildenhall airbase in the United Kingdom, a crucial logistics hub for USAF operations in Europe.

This movement highlights the continuous strategic projection operations of the United States in the Middle Eastern theater, supported by the fundamental in-flight refueling capability that allows tactical fighters like the F-35s to cover intercontinental distances in just a few hours.