Six additional American refueling tankers are scheduled to depart for Israel on Thursday, marking the latest visible step in a massive U.S. military buildup across the Middle East.

According to open-source flight tracking data reviewed by independent aviation analysts, five U.S. Air Force KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft are set to depart from Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire, while a sixth tanker will leave Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. All six aircraft are scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The planned arrivals follow a week in which multiple American refueling aircraft and cargo planes were observed landing at Ben Gurion. At the same time, 11 F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets — along with logistical support aircraft and accompanying aircrews — arrived at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel.

The movements are part of a broader pattern that has unfolded in recent weeks. The Military Air Tracking Alliance, a group of roughly 30 open-source analysts who monitor global military flight activity, reports that dozens of American fighter jets — including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s and F-16s — have been spotted heading toward the Middle East.

The alliance says it has also tracked dozens of aerial refueling tankers and hundreds of cargo flights entering the region this month, signaling a substantial logistical effort underway.

The U.S. government has not publicly detailed the full scope or duration of the deployments. However, aerial refueling aircraft play a critical role in extending the range and endurance of fighter jets, allowing sustained operations over long distances.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)