Two days after multiple US military planes, including a C-17 Globemaster III, were seen landing at the UK bases, the American special operations soldiers were seen carrying out a fast rope and rescue exercise from CV-22B tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft.
Crack soldiers were seen rappelling from the aircraft at RAF Fairford and RAF Mildenhall, key UK bases for the U.S. Air Force, hinting that the Americans could be prepping for another mission, according to The Times. Atleast 14 C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft and two heavily armed AC-130J Ghostrider gunships landed at three RAF bases in Suffolk and Gloucestershire since Saturday.
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The Globemasters are heavy-lift military transport aircraft and could be carrying multiple MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and MH-47G Chinooks. The helicopters have been spotted in British hangars, according to unconfirmed reports.
Video footage doing the rounds on Tuesday showed US troops training in two Ospreys. These aircraft are usually used by the US Air Force’s 7th Special Operations Squadron, which specialises in long-range infiltration, extraction, and resupply. However, Ospreys left Fairford on Wednesday morning and have “gone dark” on flight trackers, according to The Times.
The last time such a military buildup was seen was in June 2025, when the US military bombed multiple nuclear sites across Iran. Adding to the speculation is US President Donald Trump’s statement that the US would use force and intervene if the Iranian regime uses violence to suppress protests. The current US deployment in the Persian Gulf also hints that the US could target Iran.
As per reports, a large number of fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers of the US are seen in the Persian Gulf.
Aviation watcher said the US Navy MQ-4C Triton drone was spotted conducting reconnaissance over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran’s borders. The drone was launched from Abu Dhabi.
More aircraft, including KC-135R Stratotanker (62-3510), C-17A Globemaster III (RCH848 / 03-3118), and P-8A Poseidon, were seen operating in the area. Concurrent airlift, aerial refueling, and maritime patrol activity observed, flight data showed.
On Thursday, two US KC-46A Pegasus departed fromSeymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro and were seen flying towards the Middle East, according to flight data.
At present, two aircraft carriers are operating in the region: USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz (which was recently redeployed to the region). Each aircraft carrier carries approximately 90 aircraft, including F-35C stealth aircraft and F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft. They are joined by destroyers equipped with Aegis systems and SM-3 interceptor missiles, capable of shooting down ballistic missiles.