The New York Times reported that U.S. Department of Defense officials revealed on the 1st that the U.S. military is sending 18 additional A-10 attack aircraft to the Middle East, doubling the number of A-10s deployed in the region.
According to the report, these A-10 attack aircraft, which took off from the United States, all made stopovers at RAF Lakenheath in the UK while en route to the Middle East theater. These aircraft may assist U.S. ground forces in seizing areas along the coast of the Strait of Hormuz or may be used to seize Iran’s main oil hub, Kharg Island.
Previously, the U.S. military had already deployed a dozen or so A-10 attack aircraft in the Middle East. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Kane, said at a recent press conference that the U.S. military has used this type of aircraft to conduct patrol missions in the Strait of Hormuz, searching for and destroying Iranian armed speedboats.
The A-10 attack aircraft flies at low altitudes and slow speeds, and can loiter over land and sea targets for extended periods. However, compared to fighter jets, A-10s are more vulnerable when facing air defense fire.
According to U.S. media analysis, the increased deployment of A-10s by the U.S. military suggests that Iran’s strategic air defense system may have already suffered significant damage.