The United States will send extra fighter aircraft squadrons to the Middle East to strengthen its security posture as combat in the area escalates, Beirut-based Al Mayadeen news network reported, citing Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh remarks among the reporters on Monday.
"The forces due to rotate into theater to replace them will now instead augment the in-place forces already in the region," according to Singh. "Again, I won't talk specific timelines or numbers for OPSEC [Operational Security] reasons, but can tell you these augmented forces include F-16, F-15E, A-10, F-22 fighter aircraft, and associated personnel."
The US Department of Defense stated on Sunday that it has increased the readiness of extra US soldiers to respond swiftly to potential attacks against US personnel and interests in the West Asia region.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies," according to a Pentagon statement.
The statement emphasized that the Pentagon "maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of US forces operating in the region."
AMK/PR