What American aircraft has Lajes Air Base received in the last few hours? The KC-46 Pegasus tanker force has been reinforced with three more units, bringing the total to 18 platforms stationed there. Six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft have also arrived, which are highly advanced and designed to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, five Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft are present. While the tanker force remains, the F-16 Viper fighters and P-8 anti-submarine aircraft previously spotted have departed. Armando Mendes notes that while current activity is significant, it remains lower in scale compared to the 2003 Iraq War deployment.
The novelty at Lajes is the presence of electronic warfare aircraft
Saturday, 21 March 2026RSS
AI Summary AvailableUS military presence at Lajes Base reaches record levelsRead the synthesized summary with context and explainers
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Other news coverage of this topic
- Lajes registers strongest U.S.military presence since start of Iran conflict • Portugal Resident
- Lajes Base hits record for US aircraft stationed since the start of the conflict in Iran • CNN Portugal
- Military movement at Lajes base is the largest since the start of the attack on Iran • Expresso
- Lajes Base records increase in US aircraft during Middle East conflict • Público
- Lajes Base sees highest number of US aircraft since the start of the conflict • RTP Notícias
- Lajes Base has the largest presence of US aircraft since the start of the Middle East conflict • Correio da Manhã
