Apparently the USAF 494th figher squadron, which is a "ready to deploy" F-15E "Strike Eagle" squadron currently based at RAF Lakenheath, is deploying soon to "southwest Asia"; but first they got the new improved GBU-39 bombs - smaller GPS guided bombs permitting each aircraft to carry eight independently targetable bombs - each smaller, but more effective with guiding than the equivalent weight of bigger and fewer bombs.
Where are they going, and why?
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The Baatan Expeditionary Strike Group (marines and amphibious assault ships) just formed up and is heading in the general direction of the mid-east;
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They couldn't be that stupid, could they?
Old Speculation Updated.
So... in my humble and uninformed opinion, if the US were to launch a air strike on Iran, supported by Navy aircraft and…
The USS Reagan Carrier Strike Group is surging - it will forward deploy to the western pacific next week.
That makes three.
Caveat...
...this is to backstop the Kitty Hawk which is going in for maintenance in harbour in Japan.
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I know this is tiresome, but I find it interesting to play "what if..."
I'll get back to all science soon. No point in dynamic web logs if they don't respond dynamically to changing issues... eh?
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the Hill of Megiddo.
Now, aren't you sorry you asked?
No, they wouldn't be heading to the middle-east. My guess would be Kandahar or Bagram air bases in Afghanistan for a possible mission into Iran if necessary. The choice of jet is interesting, though: The F-15 is an air-force jet, not a naval aircraft. Most of our airpower in the middle-east is largely naval (since we can park carriers in the Gulf and Med). The choice of 15s implies that they expect to be launching and landing in an airbase.
The 15E is also an odd bird, being an air superiority fighter retrofitted for bombing runs. The choice of 15Es over an F-117 implies that they're more concerned about having something more maneuverable to deal with air cover than they are about avoiding SAMs, and the choice of F-15Es over a more conventional mixed F-16 and F-15 force, or an F-22 and F-35 force implies that they want as small a force as possible, choosing a fighter/bomber hybrid over a mixed fighter and bomber squad.
Why?
Clearly the intent is to take out specific, known targets. The choice of smaller, more accurate bombs probably rules out a strike on Iran's nuclear program, though, since the facilities at Busehr and elsewhere are reportedly deep underground.
Israel/Lebanon makes even less sense, though, since there's nothing these jets would do there that couldn't be accomplished by an F-18 off a carrier.
Clearly they intend to attack from an airbase, against a country whose air defenses include an air force (rather than just SAMs like most Arab countries), with specific strategic targets, and get in and out as quickly as possible.
In the region you mention, only Iran makes sense as a target.
Other factors would influence this decision, such as payload and operational cost.