US Deploying Additional Fighter Squadron, ISR Aircraft to the Middle East
5/24/2019
​––Brian Everstine
The Pentagon is sending more intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft and another fighter squadron to the Middle East as part of a deployment of 1,500 personnel to “improve our force protection and safeguard US forces†from Iranian threats, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced May 24.
The ISR and fighter aircraft, which were not identified, will provide “additional deterrence and depth to our aviation response options,†Shanahan said in a statement. Additionally, the military will deploy a Patriot missile defense battalion and an engineer element “to provide force protection improvements.†The fighter squadron will be in addition to USAF F-35s and F-15s already in the region.
http://airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/May%202019/US-Deploying-Additional-Fighter-Squadron-ISR-Aircraft-to-the-Middle-East.aspx
