Latest news with #KC-135Stratotanker
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Military Aircraft Detected Near China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States Navy sent two aircraft into the disputed Taiwan Strait early Wednesday in a move likely to rankle China. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Seventh Fleet, Indo-Pacific Command and China's foreign ministry by email with a request for comment. Why It Matters Beijing's Communist Party-led government claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite never having governed the island. China also asserts sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait, which most countries regard as international waters. The U.S., and increasingly several of its allies, conduct military transits through the 100-mile-wide waterway to assert freedom of navigation rights. China has frequently objected to the presence of what it calls "outside powers" not only in the strait but also in the adjacent South and East China seas. A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon descends from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker after receiving fuel as part of a combat readiness exercise over the North Sea, on May 10, 2025. A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon descends from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker after receiving fuel as part of a combat readiness exercise over the North Sea, on May 10, 2025. Airman 1st Class Aidan Martínez/U.S. Air Force What To Know A P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft departed from a base in Japan's Okinawa prefecture and flew west toward the Taiwan Strait, according to open-source flight tracking data. The aircraft then proceeded down the middle of the strait and by 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday had almost reached the southern end. It was the first reported P-8 transit since November 2024. Based on the Boeing 737 airframe, the P-8A is specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare and is equipped with advanced sensors, sonobuoys, torpedoes and anti-ship missiles. Shortly after the Poseidon's passage, a U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance drone also appeared to enter the strait, taking a route around Taiwan's southern tip. The transits coincided with Taiwan's largest annual series of drills, the Han Kuang exercise, which are designed to test the island's readiness in the event of a potential invasion by China. What People Have Said The U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet said of the Taiwan Strait transit by a P-8A Poseidon in November: "The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows." Chinese state-backed think tank the South China Sea Probing Initiative wrote of U.S. military flights in an X (formerly Twitter) post Monday: "Such operations are carried out…thousands of times around China every year. "Only when they attempt to enter Chinese airspace or endanger the safety of Chinese platforms will they be intercepted. Is the People's Liberation Army being too restrained and too reasonable?" What's Next Neither the Chinese nor Taiwanese authorities had issued a public statement on the latest transits as of publishing time. U.S. Navy vessels are expected to continue sailing through the Taiwan Strait several times per year, as well as maintaining a presence in other disputed parts of the Asia-Pacific region, such as the South China Sea.
Toronto Sun
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
B-2 bombers have reportedly taken off from U.S. as Trump weighs Iran strike
Published Jun 21, 2025 • 1 minute read This April 4, 2005 Department of Defense handout image shows a B-2 Spirit multi-role bomber conducting air refueling operations with a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Pacific Ocean. Photo by U.S. Department of Defense / AFP via Getty Images B-2 stealth bombers have taken off from the U.S. and are headed over the Pacific, multiple news outlets reported, as President Donald Trump weighs American involvement in the war between Israel and Iran. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The moves, picked up by flight tracking services on Saturday, indicate that the administration is getting the Air Force bombers in position if needed for a strike on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported. The planes, accompanied by refueling tankers, may be on their way to a base in Guam, according to the report. Speculation about a potential U.S. strike aimed at Iran's nuclear program has focused on the B-2s, which would be needed to drop 30,000-pound bombs — so-called bunker busters — if Trump decided to target Iran's heavily fortified uranium enrichment site at Fordow. Israel, which is seeking to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, does not have such weapons. Multiple B-2s appeared to be airborne and heading across the Pacific from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the New York Times reported. The Times cited flight trackers' posts on social media and air traffic control communications. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Trump's is scheduled to return to the White House Saturday and meet with his national security team. The U.S. president has sent mixed signals, discounting European efforts to secure a diplomatic solution between Israel and Iran while keeping possible US involvement in the conflict on the table. 'I'm giving them a period of time,' Trump told reporters Friday. 'I would say two weeks would be the maximum.' — With assistance from María Paula Mijares Torres and Akayla Gardner. Read More Columnists Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons
Iraqi News
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
US military aircraft no longer visible at base in Qatar
Washington – Dozens of US military aircraft are no longer on the tarmac at a major US base in Qatar, satellite images show — a possible move to shield them from eventual Iranian air strikes, as Washington weighs whether to intervene in Tehran's conflict with Israel. Between June 5 and 19, nearly all of the aircraft visible at the Al Udeid base are no longer anywhere in plain sight, according to images published by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by AFP. Nearly 40 military aircraft — including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft — were parked on the tarmac on June 5. In an image taken on June 19, only three aircraft are visible. The US embassy in Qatar announced Thursday that access to the base would be limited 'out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities,' and urged personnel to 'exercise increased vigilance.' The White House says US President Donald Trump will decide sometime in the next two weeks whether to join ally Israel's strikes on Iran. The Islamic republic could then respond by striking US bases in the region. Mark Schwartz, a former lieutenant general in the US Army and a defense researcher at the Rand Corporation, said the personnel, aircraft and installations at Al Udeid would be 'extremely vulnerable' given its 'close proximity' to Iran. Schwartz, who served in the Middle East, told AFP that even shrapnel could render the aircraft 'non-mission capable.' 'You want to reduce risk to US forces, both personnel and equipment,' he said. The planes that have left the tarmac since early June could have been moved to hangars or to other bases in the region. The US military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. US forces in the Middle East have been mobilized since Israel's first strikes on Iran nearly a week ago, with an additional aircraft carrier en route and significant aircraft movement. An AFP analysis of open source data tracking aircraft positioning showed that at least 27 military refueling planes — KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker planes — traveled from the United States to Europe from June 15-18. Twenty-five of them were still in Europe as of late Wednesday, with only two returning to American soil, the data showed.
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First Post
20-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Fearing Iranian strikes, US quietly pulls nearly 40 military aircraft from Qatar airbase: Report
Satellite photos reveal that the Al Udeid Air Base—America's largest military installation in West Asia—was emptied of jets between June 5 and 19, in what appears to be a 'pre-emptive move' read more S embassy in Qatar announced that access to the base would be limited.(Source: AFP) The US has quietly relocated about 40 military aircraft from its major airbase in Qatar over the past two weeks as fears grow of Iran's potential retaliatory strikes, news agency AFP reported, citing satellite photos. AFP analysed photos from Planet Labs PBC, which reveal that the Al Udeid Air Base—America's largest military installation in West Asia—was emptied of jets between June 5 and 19. The pre-emptive move is aimed at protecting American assets in the region as the Israel-Iran conflict intensifies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Donald Trump still hasn't greenlighted the plans to join the conflict. On the other hand, Tehran has warned it will target US military sites in West Asia if it decides to enter the fray. Satellite photos revealed that the airbase visibly hosted about 40 aircraft as of June 5, including C-130 Hercules transport planes and advanced reconnaissance jets. However, by June 19, only three planes could be spotted. This comes as the US embassy in Qatar earlier announced it was restricting access to the base 'out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities.' It also urged its personnel in the region to 'exercise increased vigilance.' US amassing military equipment According to an AFP analysis of public flight tracking data, between June 15 and 18, at least 27 US military refuelling aircraft, including KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker planes, were deployed from the United States to Europe. As of late Wednesday, 25 of these aircraft remained in Europe, with only two returning to the US. These refuelling planes, critical for long-range air missions, indicate the US might be preparing for a wider conflict, potentially with its involvement. US forces on high alert US forces in West Asia are on high alert, with military families offered the option to evacuate bases voluntarily due to potential Iranian retaliation. Approximately 40,000 US troops are currently stationed in the region, an increase from the typical 30,000, with a temporary peak of 43,000 in October amid earlier tensions between Israel and Iran and ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea. The Pentagon has declined to provide details on further troop movements but stressed that US forces are ready to adapt quickly based on developments with Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump to decide on strikes in 'two weeks' The White House stated that Donald Trump will decide within whether to support Israel's campaign against Iran's military and nuclear programmes, noting that Trump still believes diplomacy could address American and Israeli concerns regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions. 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, told reporters, quoting Trump.
NDTV
20-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
US Military Jets No Longer Visible At Qatar Base, Show Satellite Images
Washington: Dozens of US military aircraft are no longer on the tarmac at a major US base in Qatar, satellite images show -- a possible move to shield them from eventual Iranian air strikes, as Washington weighs whether to intervene in Tehran's conflict with Israel. Between June 5 and 19, nearly all of the aircraft visible at the Al Udeid base are no longer anywhere in plain sight, according to images published by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by AFP. Nearly 40 military aircraft -- including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft -- were parked on the tarmac on June 5. In an image taken on June 19, only three aircraft are visible. The US embassy in Qatar announced Thursday that access to the base would be limited "out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities," and urged personnel to "exercise increased vigilance." The White House says US President Donald Trump will decide sometime in the next two weeks whether to join ally Israel's strikes on Iran. The Islamic republic could then respond by striking US bases in the region. Mark Schwartz, a former lieutenant general in the US Army and a defense researcher at the Rand Corporation, said the personnel, aircraft and installations at Al Udeid would be "extremely vulnerable" given its "close proximity" to Iran. Schwartz, who served in the Middle East, told AFP that even shrapnel could render the aircraft "non-mission capable." "You want to reduce risk to US forces, both personnel and equipment," he said. The planes that have left the tarmac since early June could have been moved to hangars or to other bases in the region. The US military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. US forces in the Middle East have been mobilized since Israel's first strikes on Iran nearly a week ago, with an additional aircraft carrier en route and significant aircraft movement. An AFP analysis of open source data tracking aircraft positioning showed that at least 27 military refueling planes -- KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker planes -- traveled from the United States to Europe from June 15-18. Twenty-five of them were still in Europe as of late Wednesday, with only two returning to American soil, the data showed.
