U.S. Air Force Refueling Tankers deploying all day

[James48]

Tankers Deploy to Europe as US Weighs Options in Israel-Iran War

June 16, 2025 | By Chris Gordon
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Dozens of aerial refueling tankers have flown from American military bases to Europe as the U.S. considers its options for potential involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, U.S. officials said. The Navy has also dispatched the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the Middle East from the Pacific.

The armada of over two dozen tankers—a mix of KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker jets—deployed to Morón Air Base, Spain; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; and other European bases, according to open-source flight tracking data. (Update- 32 tankers so far)

U.S. officials said the forward deployment provided President Donald Trump and the U.S. military with more flexibility in their decision-making. As of June 16, the tankers did not appear to be heading farther east to U.S.-run bases in the Middle East. The U.S. Air Force’s Europe-based aerial refueling jets occasionally support missions in U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged June 16 he has ordered additional U.S. forces to the Middle East, but did not provide further details.

“Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility,” he wrote on X. “Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region.”

More:

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-tankers-deploy-europe-as-us-weighs-options-israel-iran-war/

That’s about all the tankers they can scramble on short notice. That’s a lot of tankers. Kc-135’s and KC-46’s, all going to multiple bases across Europe, the Med, and elsewhere.