The U.S. Navy is sending the supercarrier USS Nimitz and the rest of its strike group to the Middle East amid a new buildup of forces in the region ostensibly for defensive purposes, U.S. officials have told TWZ. Overnight, dozens of U.S. Air Force KC-135R and KC-46A tankers had already been tracked heading east over the Atlantic Ocean. That has prompted speculation about the potential start of a major contingency operation, possibly around a shift in U.S. policy toward the ongoing Israel-Iran war, as you can read about in more detail here.
U.S. air, naval, and ground forces have already been aiding in the defense of Israel since the start of the current hostilities last week. Readers can first get up to speed on the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran in our reporting here.
Though currently sailing in the Western Pacific, “the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is heading to the Middle East without delay,” a U.S. official told TWZ. The U.S. official added that this is a scheduled deployment to replace the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group, which is currently on station in the Middle East. However, they would not say when Vinson might now be expected to leave the region.
Fox News has separately reported that the decision to send Nimitz to the Middle East, though previously planned, has been accelerated by multiple months, and that it and Vinson will be in the region together for at least a period of time. In addition to the carrier and its air wing, Nimitz’s strike group is currently known to include four Arleigh Burke class destroyers. At least one fast attack submarine also typically accompanies Navy carriers on deployments.
When asked, a second U.S. official could not comment specifically on the recent movement of KC-135R and KC-46A tankers, but told TWZ that “additional defensive forces are moving to the region to provide flexible options for leadership.” They declined to elaborate on the exact composition of those forces.
Other reports have linked the flights directly to this “defensive” buildup.
Both U.S. officials spoke to TWZ on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details.
The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command (AMC), which oversees the bulk of the service’s tanker and airlifter fleets, declined to comment in response to queries from TWZ, citing operational security concerns. We have also reached out to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), and the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) headquarters for more information. CENTCOM directed us to contact the White House, which we have also done.
Just having an additional aircraft carrier strike group in the region will offer an important boost in available defensive and offensive capacity to U.S. commanders. As part of any regional contingency operation, Nimitz‘s air wing could be tasked with helping to intercept aerial threats, including drones and cruise missiles, as well as striking targets on land and at sea. Naval F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, like the F-35Cs currently embarked upon the USS Carl Vinson, are known to have shot down drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen in recent months, something TWZ was first to report.
The other ships in a carrier strike group offer significant air and missile defense capabilities, as well as their own ability to target enemy vessels and/or ground-based assets. Collectively, a carrier and its escorts can provide a wide array of other forms of valuable support, including in terms of surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as command and control and battle management.
A senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told TWZ over the weekend that Aegis combat system-equipped ships, which would be Arleigh Burke class destroyers and/or Ticonderoga class cruisers, have already been helping to intercept missiles heading toward Israel since the current conflict erupted. There is also evidence of the use of SM-3-series anti-ballistic missile interceptors, which U.S. warships with Aegis systems specially configured to support the ballistic missile defense mission employ.
U.S. officials had previously told us that an additional Arleigh Burke, the USS Thomas Hudner, was moving into the Eastern Mediterranean in light of current events. Another destroyer of this type was also reportedly repositioned for a potential forward deployment to the region, if requested. Thomas Hudner is notably a BMD configured Arleigh Burke, which would bring additional SM-3s to the theater along with other munitions. U.S. stockpiles of SM-3s, in general, are relatively limited, and the Navy also currently has no operational way of re-loading vertical launch systems on warships like Arleigh Burke at sea.
In terms of observed U.S. airpower movements, online flight tracking software shows that at least 32 Air Force tankers have now arrived at locations across Europe and the Middle East. It remains unclear whether any of the tankers were ‘dragging’ combat jets with them across the Atlantic.
The aforementioned senior IDF official also told TWZ that U.S. fighter aircraft in the region have been taking part in defensive operations already. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles played key roles in defending Israel from incoming missile and drone attacks last year. F-15Es recently saw their counter-drone capabilities, in particular, significantly expand through the addition of laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets to their available arsenal. Air Force F-16s in the Middle East had already been using APKWS IIs to down drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen since last year, which we were first to report.
From bases in Europe, the armada of aerial refueling aircraft would also be positioned to support long-range flights by cargo aircraft, movement of fighters, or even global airpower bombers, from the United States to the Middle East and back.
TWZ has previously highlighted the potential role that the unique combination of Air Force B-2 bombers carrying 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs could play in procuring deeply buried Iranian facilities, including the nuclear enrichment plant at Fordo, should the U.S. government make the decision to join Israel’s campaign on a kinetic level.
Just moving additional ground-based air and missile defense assets, or replenishing stocks of interceptors for units already forward deployed, by air, also requires significant resources, as you can read more about here. U.S. Army Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense systems in the Middle East are also among the assets already being employed in the defense of Israel.
Whether the new U.S. military buildup presages a new phase of American participation in the conflict remains to be seen. As TWZ noted when the armada of tankers first appeared heading east over the Atlantic, that movement is something one expects to see in a number of different contingency scenarios. Beyond increasing options for defending Israel, there remains the prospect that U.S. interests across the region come under more direct threat. Iran has notably reiterated long-standing threats to close the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz, though there are questions about its ability to and interest in doing so given the global ramifications of such action, as we recently explored in detail. Anti-ballistic missile defense, in particular, would be key to responding to any Iranian strikes aimed at bases hosting U.S. forces in the Middle East, as well as an attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.
Pressure also reportedly continues to build on U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration to enter the conflict more actively in support of Israel and its objectives. In particular, Israeli forces have significantly more options for attempting to neutralize deeply buried facilities in Iran, especially the Fordo enrichment plant. Knocking out Fordo is widely seen as essential for putting a real hold on Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. Even just providing the Israeli Air Force (IAF) with U.S. aerial refueling support would give that country’s ongoing campaign a major boost, as we have noted before.
In the meantime, the scope of Israel’s campaign against Iran is also steadily moving beyond its initial focus on nuclear targets. This has been driven in part by what Iran has targeted in Israel, including energy-related sites, in retaliation.
Whether or not a major shift in U.S. policy toward the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict occurs, the U.S. military is now engaged in a major buildup of forces that could be poised to help with any future offensive, as well as defensive operations, in the Middle East.
Update, 6:00 PM Eastern:
“Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has now said in a statement. “Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in there region.”
Update, 7:25 PM Eastern:
“Consistent with the duty to protect U.S. forces in the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility to sustain our defensive posture and safeguard American personnel,” a U.S. defense official has now also told TWZ directly. ” In the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) AOR the U.S. Navy continues to conduct operations in the Eastern Mediterranean in support of U.S. national security objectives.”
They also reiterated a previous statement that “the U.S. is assisting in shooting down missiles targeting Israel on land and by sea.”
Contact the author: joe@twz.com