US military build-up in the Middle East
The US military has repositioned aircraft and naval assets to sites near Iran since mid-January with an additional carrier strike group heading to the region as of February 18, 2026.
Aircraft moved into position
Naval assets (exact locations not known)
US military sites
TURKMEN.
TURKEY
GREECE
1
SYRIA
Med. Sea
AFG.
IRAN
ISR.
IRAQ
2
JOR.
KUWAIT
B
D
EGYPT
BAHRAIN
4
5
Red Sea
3
SAUDI
ARABIA
OMAN
UAE
A
C
SUDAN
YEMEN
ERIT.
Arabian
Sea
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
SOMALIA
Aircraft moved into position
since January 22
Aircraft moved into position since January 22
Crete, Greece
1
RC-135V (Reconnaissance aircraft)
Azraq, Jordan
2
F-15 Eagle (Multirole fighter)
E/A-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
A-10 Warthog (Attack aircraft)
Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
3
E-11A BACN (Battlefield
communications aircraft)
F-16 Fighting Falcon (Multirole fighter)
P-8A Poseidon (Reconnaissance aircraft
E-3 (Early warning and communications plane)
Awali, Bahrain
4
P-8A Poseidon
(Reconnaissance aircraft)
Al Dhafrah, UAE
5
MQ-4C Triton
(High-altitude, long-endurance
unmanned aircraft)
Naval assets
A
Red Sea
USS Delbert D. Black (Destroyer)
Persian Gulf
B
USS Tulsa (Littoral combat ship)
USS Canberra (Littoral combat ship)
C
Northern Arabian Sea
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group:
USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier
USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (Destroyer)
USS Spruance (Destroyer)
USS McFaul (Destroyer)
USS Pinckney (Destroyer)
F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole fighter)
EA-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
E-2 Hawkeye (Early warning and control)
MH-60S Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
MH-60R Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
F-35C Lightning II (Fighter jet)
D
Strait of Hormuz
USS Mitscher (Destroyer)
USS Santa Barbara (Littoral combat ship)
USS Michael Murphy (Destroyer)
Heading to the region
E
Ford Carrier Strike Group:
USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier
USS Bainbridge (Destroyer)
USS Mahan (Destroyer)
USS Winston S. Churchill (Destroyer)
F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole fighter)
EA-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
E-2 Hawkeye (Early warning and control)
MH-60S Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
MH-60R Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
C-2A Greyhound (Cargo aircraft)
Aircraft moved into position
Naval assets (exact locations not known)
US military sites
TURKMEN.
GREECE
TURKEY
1
SYRIA
Med. Sea
IRAN
ISR.
IRAQ
2
JOR.
KUWAIT
B
D
EGYPT
4
BAHRAIN
5
3
Red Sea
SAUDI
ARABIA
OMAN
UAE
C
A
SUDAN
YEMEN
ERITREA
Gulf of Aden
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
SOMALIA
S. SUDAN
Aircraft moved into position since January 22
Crete, Greece
1
RC-135V (Reconnaissance aircraft)
Azraq, Jordan
2
F-15 Eagle (Multirole fighter)
E/A-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
A-10 Warthog (Attack aircraft)
Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
3
E-11A BACN (Battlefield communications aircraft)
F-16 Fighting Falcon (Multirole fighter)
P-8A Poseidon (Reconnaissance aircraft)
E-3 (Early warning and communications plane)
Awali, Bahrain
4
P-8A Poseidon
(Reconnaissance aircraft)
5
Al Dhafrah, UAE
MQ-4C Triton
(High-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft)
Naval assets
A
Red Sea
USS Delbert D. Black (Destroyer)
B
Persian Gulf
USS Tulsa (Littoral combat ship)
USS Canberra (Littoral combat ship)
C
Northern Arabian Sea
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group:
USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier
USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (Destroyer)
USS Spruance (Destroyer)
USS McFaul (Destroyer)
USS Pinckney (Destroyer)
F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole fighter)
EA-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
E-2 Hawkeye (Early warning and control)
MH-60S Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
MH-60R Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
F-35C Lightning II (Fighter jet)
D
Strait of Hormuz
USS Mitscher (Destroyer)
USS Santa Barbara (Littoral combat ship)
USS Michael Murphy (Destroyer)
E
Heading to the region
Ford Carrier Strike Group:
USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier
USS Bainbridge (Destroyer)
USS Mahan (Destroyer)
USS Winston S. Churchill (Destroyer)
F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole fighter)
EA-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
E-2 Hawkeye (Early warning and control)
MH-60S Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
MH-60R Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
C-2A Greyhound (Cargo aircraft)
Aircraft moved into position
Naval assets (exact locations not known)
US military sites
GEOR.
ARM.
AZER.
TURKMENISTAN
TURKEY
GREECE
1
SYRIA
CYPRUS
LEB.
AFG.
Med. Sea
IRAN
IRAQ
ISR.
2
JOR.
KUWAIT
B
D
EGYPT
4
BAHRAIN
QATAR
5
3
UAE
C
A
OMAN
SAUDI ARABIA
Red Sea
Arabian
Sea
SUDAN
YEMEN
ERITREA
Gulf of Aden
DJIBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
SOMALIA
S. SUDAN
Aircraft moved into position since January 22
Crete, Greece
Awali, Bahrain
4
1
RC-135V (Reconnaissance aircraft)
P-8A Poseidon
(Reconnaissance aircraft)
Azraq, Jordan
2
5
Al Dhafrah, UAE
F-15 Eagle (Multirole fighter)
E/A-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
A-10 Warthog (Attack aircraft)
MQ-4C Triton
(High-altitude, long-endurance
unmanned aircraft)
Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
3
E-11A BACN (Battlefield communications aircraft)
F-16 Fighting Falcon (Multirole fighter)
P-8A Poseidon (Reconnaissance aircraft)
E-3 (Early warning and communications plane)
Naval assets
D
A
Red Sea
Strait of Hormuz
USS Delbert D. Black (Destroyer)
USS Mitscher (Destroyer)
USS Santa Barbara (Littoral combat ship)
USS Michael Murphy (Destroyer)
B
Persian Gulf
USS Tulsa (Littoral combat ship)
USS Canberra (Littoral combat ship)
E
Heading to the region
Ford Carrier Strike Group:
USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier
USS Bainbridge (Destroyer)
USS Mahan (Destroyer)
USS Winston S. Churchill (Destroyer)
F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole fighter)
EA-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
E-2 Hawkeye (Early warning and control)
MH-60S Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
MH-60R Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
C-2A Greyhound (Cargo aircraft)
C
Northern Arabian Sea
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group:
USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier
USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (Destroyer)
USS Spruance (Destroyer)
USS McFaul (Destroyer)
USS Pinckney (Destroyer)
F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole fighter)
EA-18G Growler (Electronic warfare aircraft)
E-2 Hawkeye (Early warning and control)
MH-60S Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
MH-60R Sea Hawk (Navy helicopter)
F-35C Lightning II (Fighter jet)
