U.S. F-16 fighter jets undergo rotation in Middle East

The United States is conducting a rotation of F-16 fighter jets to reinforce combat aviation capacity in the Middle East. As part of operation Coronet East 110, twelve F-16s from the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing are deploying toward the CENTCOM area of operations. These aircraft were recently tracked moving from Lajes in the Azores toward their destination, supported by KC-135 and KC-46 tankers.

Simultaneously, twelve F-16C aircraft from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, have returned to Italy after operating from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan for the past two months. This movement indicates a deliberate rotation of forces rather than a reduction in presence, as another group of twelve F-16s has already departed from Aviano to replace the returning jets in the Gulf region.