February 20, 2026
What military assets does the US have in the Middle East?
The United States is sending its largest force of warships and aircraft to the Middle East in decades.
One aircraft carrier already in the Middle East, another on the way
The US directed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers to the Middle East in January. The strike group, with some 5,700 service members, has been seen in satellite images off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, started moving to the region last week. It briefly broadcast its location as being in the Atlantic off Morocco’s coast on Wednesday. It appeared to be heading for the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar, according to Marine Insights, a maritime news site.
The USS Gerald R. Ford strike group is also accompanied by three more destroyers and has more than 5,000 service members.
This will bring the Navy’s presence in the region to 14 ships, according to the AP news agency.
US moves significant airpower to Middle East
Numerous aircraft have been moved to bases in Europe and the Middle East.
The US dispatched F-15 Strike Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons normally based in Europe to the Middle East, Air and Space Forces magazine report.
It also reported that F-22 Raptors had moved from the US to the UK, presumably on their way to the Middle East, it said.
The US already has “multiple squadrons” of F-35 fighter jets in the Middle East as well as F-15s.
On top of the fighter planes, fuel tankers and cargo planes are continuing to head into the region, according to the Military Air Tracking Alliance (MATA), which uses open-source intelligence to track flights.
In their latest update from Wednesday evening, the account Defense Geek, who founded MATA, says they counted 109 aerial refueling tankers.
