US sending jets, warship to Gulf to protect ships from Iranian seizure

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From 'Military Times':

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there.

The Pentagon said Monday that the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets will be heading to the area. The Hudner had been in the Red Sea.

Defense officials last week announced the deployment of F-16s to the area over the past weekend, and there have been A-10 attack aircraft there for nearly two weeks in response to the Iranian activity.

The latest deployments come after Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the strait early this month, opening fire on one of them. The aircraft are intended to give air cover for the commercial ships moving through the waterway and increase the military’s visibility in the area, as a deterrent to Iran.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your ... n-seizure/

[Eagle130]

The additional F-16s were AV jets from 555th FS, tracked under Coronet East 093 by FC member Sentinel here: viewtopic.php?f=458&t=234508&p=1524624#p1524624

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Also links in with this:

viewtopic.php?f=355&t=234223
(USS Bataan ARG Deployment 2023)

[moonstone_laura]

A bit late but it's worth noting that the Iranians held an exercise (Fadaeian Velyat-11) at the end of July:

The Iranian air force began an annual air force drill on July 23, a week after the United States announced it was deploying additional assets around the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s growing threat to international shipping in the area. The training exercise, known as Fadaeian Velyat-11, or Devotees of the Supreme Leader-11 in Farsi, has unfolded on 11 air bases throughout the country, including Bandar Abbas, located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. The exercise consists of 90 aircraft, including fighter jets, bombers, and drones. According to Iranian media, Su-24 and F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers successfully destroyed a ground target during a nighttime operation. The air force also deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance, electronic warfare training, and destroying targets. (Source: FDD).

Full Report:

https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/07/24 ... -exercise/