Six US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been tracked arriving in the United Kingdom, with the jets inbound to RAF Lakenheath supported by aerial refuelling tankers routing into RAF Mildenhall, open-source flight tracking data shows.
The movement was highlighted by UK Defence Journal senior editor Jon, who analysed publicly available tracking information to identify the aircraft and their support tankers.
Alongside the Raptors, data indicated movements by KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, part of the logistics and refuelling package that allows deployments of long-range fighter aircraft beyond North America. The arrivals at UK bases comes of course during a period of heightened transatlantic military activity, with additional US airpower and strike assets being positioned as part of a wider operational posture aimed at Iran.
Earlier this week reporting elsewhere had also showed the United States has been reinforcing its military presence in areas of strategic interest tied to rising tensions with Iran. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group are operating in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers and aviation elements, as part of what has been described as a significant force presence close to Iranian waters.
A second carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been ordered to prepare for deployment to the region, potentially placing two carrier strike groups within operational reach. The move follows US leaders indications that force posture is being adjusted as part of deterrence and contingency planning in response to Iranian actions and rhetoric.
In parallel, reporting elsewhere has also noted deployments of other air assets toward the Middle East, including additional fighter jets being repositioned to support broader operations. These developments coincide with indirect nuclear talks held in Geneva between US and Iranian officials, even as Iranian military drills were reported in and around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.