Tehran (Diplomat.so) - In a sign of accelerating military posturing, a formation of South Carolina Air National Guard F-16 Block 52 fighters was tracked crossing the Atlantic on February 17, as the United States expands regional readiness amid discussions of potential strikes against Iran. The 12 aircraft landed at Lajes Field before departing the next day, accompanied by an aerial refueling tanker and supported by additional U.S. tanker deployments, according to flight-tracking data and defense sources familiar with the movement.
The fighters appeared equipped for Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD) missions—commonly called Wild Weasel—and carried advanced "Angry Kitten” electronic-attack pods. The system, originally developed as a training tool, has since been adapted for operational use. Retired Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly said in prior public remarks that the technology "proved far more capable than anticipated,” prompting the U.S. Air Force to integrate it into combat protection suites after testing began in 2017.
Defense analysts note that the eastbound appearance of the jammer pods suggests a possible real-world evaluation in contested airspace, marking a shift in how the U.S. repurposes experimental systems for frontline missions.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Saturday announced the first launch of its vertically fired Sayyad 3-G naval air-defense missile from the vessel Sayad Shirazi during "Smart Control” exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Tasnim and Sky News Arabia. With a claimed 150-km range, the system is designed to create a mobile regional air-defense shield for Iran’s Shahed Soleimani-class warships.
Regional vigilance heightened further Friday when the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group entered the Mediterranean. A U.S. official said senior national-security advisers briefed Donald Trump on Wednesday, adding that U.S. forces in theater "will be at full strength by mid-March.”
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