CENTCOM: US air campaign in Iran crosses 12,000 sorties milestone

US aircraft have carried out more than 12,000 combat sorties against targets in Iran since the start of the military operation, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported.

According to aviation tracking resource Military Air Tracking Alliance (MATA), the US tactical air group in the Middle East currently includes more than 250 combat aircraft. 

The largest concentration is at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, hosting multiple squadrons of US fighter jets, including F-35A, F-15E, F-16, as well as a squadron of A-10 attack aircraft. Additional US combat aircraft are stationed at Ovda Air Base in Israel and Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, as well as aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is conducting operations in the Arabian Sea.

In addition, 23 US heavy bombers are deployed in the United Kingdom, including 15 B-1B Lancer aircraft and eight B-52H Stratofortress bombers.

These strategic bombers conduct daily strikes on targets in Iran. Each aircraft can carry up to 24 900-kg JDAM precision-guided bombs with a range of up to 20 km or 12 JASSM cruise missiles with an approximate range of 300 km. 

These munitions are used to strike high-value and heavily protected targets in Iran, including facilities for the deployment, storage, and production of ballistic missiles.

By Jeyhun Aghazada