From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Over 10 US military transports landed at Israeli airbases over past week, analysts say
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
More than 10 American military transport aircraft landed at Israeli airbases in southern Israel over the past week, according to analysts monitoring open-source flight tracking data.
Most of the recent cargo flights took off from Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso, Texas. According to the data, the planes were destined for the Israeli Air Force’s Nevatim and Ovda airbases in the south.
There have also been a number of other American military cargo flights to US bases in other Middle East countries in recent days, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait.
The contents of the transport planes are unknown, but are thought to be related to efforts by the US to improve its air defenses in the region ahead of a new possible round of fighting with Iran.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US military was sending a Patriot battery from Texas to bolster its air defenses in the region.
#USAF United States Air Force – Iran War 2026
Operation Epic Fury
29 October – 1125zMovements primarily from Biggs Army Airfield continue this morning. Three C-17s are en route to/have arrived at Ovda Air Base in Israel, while two more are in-progress – this brings the total to… https://t.co/rt1kwlqE4r pic.twitter.com/caE3v0lBRs
— Armchair Admiral ???????? (@ArmchairAdml) October 29, 2026
The Times of Israel Community.