From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 26, 2026
6 more refueling tankers set to depart for Israel as part of US buildup in Mideast
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Six more American refueling tankers are scheduled to head for Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport today as part of the United States’s massive buildup of military forces in the Middle East, according to analysts monitoring open-source flight tracking data.
This week, several American refuelers and cargo planes were spotted at Ben Gurion Airport, and 11 F-22 stealth fighter jets — along with accompanying logistical support planes and aircrews — landed at Ovda Airbase in southern Israel.
According to analysts tracking the movement of military aircraft, five American KC-46 refueling planes will depart Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire, and a sixth tanker will depart from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. All are scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport.
Fast-Jet & Tanker Movements Update 26/02/2026 #FreeIran
— "Operation LION & SUN" —Below is a full summary of fast-jet movements from the US to Europe so far today, and of Tankers from the US to the Middle East so far today:
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Coronet East 044…— DefenceGeek ???????? (@DefenceGeek) February 26, 2026
Dozens of fighter jets — including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s, and F-16s — have been spotted heading to the Middle East by the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity in recent weeks.
The team says it’s also tracked dozens of accompanying fuel tankers, as well as hundreds of cargo flights, heading into the region this month.
The Times of Israel Community.