Israel and the USA both attacked Iran on February 28th 2026, in an operation called ‘Epic Fury’ by the Americans. But even before this date, the build-up of military assets moving into the region was significant. This article concentrates on the movements of the aviation element through England. Even though the rhetoric coming out of the White House suggests the UK and its NATO allies have not taken part, the fact remains that it would have been a massive struggle for the USA to have such a large contingent in the Persian Gulf without European assistance. The United Kingdom has been a hot bed of activity at the bases of RAF Mildenhall, RAF Lakenheath and RAF Fairford, as well as Prestwick airport in Scotland. At RAF Fairford, combat missions are launched from the Gloucestershire bomber base every day before the ceasefire on April 8th. Here we looked at the different types that transited or been based in Great Britain during the first two months of the war. 

 

Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II 

The A-10 used to be a regular sight in Suffolk, especially in the 1980s with three bases operating the type with the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge, and the 10th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Alconbury. Some of the ‘Warthogs’ that went through RAF Lakenheath in fact used to be stationed at these famous old bases. 

The first to arrive were twelve 107th Fighter Squadron (FS) A-10Cs from Selfridge Air National Guard Base (ANGB), part of the127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard. These arrived on March 30th and departed on April 3rd. This did not go to plan, however, and after issues as the aircraft approached France, they returned to RAF Lakenheath. They finally got away on April 8th. 

The evening of March 31st saw the arrival of six Idaho ANG A-10Cs of the 190th FS, part of the 124th FW based at Gowen Field, Boise. These A-10s departed two days later with no issue. Finally on April 17th two 74th FS A-10s, arrived from Moody AFB in Georgia as attrition replacements for aircraft lost so far in the war. These two Hogs were suitably adorned with shark teeth on the nose surrounding the formidable Avenger cannon the A-10 is famous for. 

A-10C serials 

107th FS, 127th Wing, Michigan ANG with tail code MI 

78-0689, 79-0082, 79-0104, 79-0108, 80-0196, 80-0221, 80-0224, 80-0255, 80-0262, 80-0265, 81-0994, 81-0998 

190th FS, 124th FW, Idaho ANG with tail code ID 

78-0618, 78-0643, 78-0707, 79-0084, 79-0165, 80-0276 

74th FS, 23rd FG with tail code FT 

78-0632, 82-0659 

 

Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules 

The ubiquitous C-130 was seen in various guises at all three main USAF locations in England during February to April. The transport C-130H and C-130J-30 variants were busy shuttling people and equipment between the USA, Europe and Middle East. For this article we will look at the Special Operations types prominent mainly at RAF Mildenhall (MC-130J) and RAF Lakenheath (AC-130J) 

Three AC-130J Ghostrider gunships arrived at RAF Lakenheath on March 24th with HEEL callsigns. These belonged to the 27th Special Operations Wing (SOW) and 1st SOW (19-5922). All three departed east on March 27th. These three aircraft had their serials taped over. 

AC-130J serials 

18-5905, 18-5916, 19-5922 

The MC-130J Commando II was the most numerous type of C-130 seen at RAF Mildenhall during the period mentioned. Of the known 57 MC-130J versions in existence it is thought up to two thirds went through RAF Mildenhall. The problem for identity was first the serial numbers were taped over and then later painted over to hide distinguishing marks. Fortunately, the resourceful local spotters managed to identify most of the MC-130Js that went through. During the rescue of the downed F-15E crew member in Iran at least two of these Commando II versions were destroyed by the USAF due to getting stuck at their Forward Operation Location. Some of the MC-130J had the Capability Release 2 update known as Silent Knight (SK). Part of this update is housed in a second radome below the cockpit with a Terrain-Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) radar to conduct low level night time and adverse weather missions. Based MC-130Js of the 67th Special Operations Squadron (SOS), part of the 352nd Special Operations Wing (SOW) at RAF Mildenhall have also thought to have taken part in Epic Fury. Here is a list of some of the known MC-130Js. 

9th SOS, 27th SOW 

09-5711 (SK), 11-5729 (SK), 11-5731, 13-5777(SK), 14-5795(SK), 16-5850 (SK), 16-5862 (SK), 17-5876 (SK) 

193rd SOS, 353rd SOW 

10-5714, 11-5737, 17-5875, 21-5965, 21-5973, 21-5875, 22-5989 

415th SOS, 58th SOW 

12-5760, 14-5805, 20-5931, 22-5994 

524th SOS, 492nd SOW 

17-5903 (SK) 

552nd SOS, 58th SOW 

08-6202,  

Unknown units 

08-5697 (SK), 08-6203, 08-6204, 11-5733 (SK), 12-5762, 12-5763, 13-5770 (SK), 14-5800, 20-5946, 20-5981, 21-5993, , 22-5985 

 

Rockwell B-1B Lancer 

Even though RAF Fairford is a considerable distant from Iran, basing heavy bombers in Gloucestershire has halved the mission duration for the B-1s and B-52s at RAF Fairford. In early March, once UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer gave permission for Fairford and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to be used for ‘defensive’ missions, the giants began arriving. 

The B-1s were usually doing two missions of two aircraft each day before the ceasefire, though there was flexibility in this arrangement. The B-1s are usually based at Ellsworth AFB and Dyess AFB in the USA. There is a total of 15 B-1s at Fairford  and this is thought to be the largest deployment on foreign soil for the Lancer. This is a list of the B-1s deployed thus far. 

9th Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Wing, tail code – DY 

85-0064, 85-0088 

34th Bomb Squadron, 28th BW, tail code – EL 

85-0060, 85-0069, 85-0072, 86-0121, 86-0134, 86-0139 

37th Bomb Squadron, 28th BW, tail code – EL 

86-0102, 86-0108, 86-0120, 86-0129, 86-0138 

77th Weapons Squadron, 57th Wong, tail code – WA 

86-0107 

345th Bomb Squadron, 489th Bomb Group, tail code – DY 

86-0140

 

Boeing B-52H Stratofortress 

For over half a century it is rare that any American display of power projection does not include the venerable B-52, and Epic Fury is no different. Six B-52s have deployed to RAF Fairford from Minot AFB with the first arriving on March 9th. On March 28th another two arrived, this time from Barksdale AFB. 

23rd BS, 5th BW, tail code – MT 

60-0007, 60-0023, 60-0060, 61-0035 

69th BS, 5th BW, tail code – MT 

60-0012, 61-0001 

20th BS, 2nd BW, tail code – LA 

60-0013, 61-0020 

 

McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 

Bearing the brunt of losses so far in the conflict, the F-15E has been at the forefront of the action in Iran. Three of the recorded losses the F-15E suffered were from friendly fire and all aircraft, including the Strike Eagle lost to a Surface to Air Missiles (SAM), were thought to have been 48th Fighter Wing F-15Es based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. Both 48th FW squadrons, the 492nd FS and 494th FS deployed east very early. Since then, more F-15Es from Seymour Johnson AFB and Mountain Home AFB have deployed for Operation Epic Fury. Four Mountain Home based Stike Eagles of the 391st FS also headed back home to the USA during this period. These were 90-0236, 90-0238, 90-0242 and 90-0246. Here is a list of F-15Es from units not based at in the UK that deployed through RAF Lakenheath. 

334th FS, 4th FW, tail code – SJ 

88-1703 

335th FS, 4th FW, tail code – SJ 

87-0181, 87-0193, 88-1670, 88-1682 

336th FS, 4th FW, tail code – SJ 

87-0177, 87-0196, 88-1704, 89-0490, 89-0492, 89-0505, 90-0229 

389th FS, 366th FW, tail code – MO 

87-0169, 87-0182, 87-0204, 87-0207, 87-0209, 88-1697, 88-1705, 89-0506 

391st FS, 366th FW, tail code – MO 

90-0248, 90-0253, 91-0330, 91-0333 

 

Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor 

The USAF’s premier combat aircraft, the F-22A Raptor, was an early arrival to Lakenheath, the first flights arriving at the end of February. Twenty four Raptors appeared at RAF Lakenheath in the end. The first twelve, mainly of the 94th FS, carried on east, but the second twelve, mainly 27th FS, remained at the base, either in reserve or to bolster the USAFE commitments with so many of its own units taking part in Epic Fury. By the middle of April these 12 had returned to Langley AFB, but during their time in England they flew several local missions, 

27th FS, 1st FW , tail code – FF 

04-4078, 05-4100, 08-4163, 08-4166, 08-4170, 08-4172, 09-4178, 09-4189, 09-4191 

94th FS, 1st FW,  tail code  – FF 

05-4099, 05-4104, 08-4152, 08-4154, 08-4158, 08-4162, 08-4168, 08-4169, 08-4171, 09-4173, 09-4174, 09-4175, 09-4177, 09-4187, 10-4194 

 

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II 

The 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath has two F-35A squadrons, the 493rd FS and 495th FS, and even though its thought only the 495th have deployed, aircraft from both units headed to the Middle East. All the F-35As from the USA that have transited through Lakenheath have come from Hill AFB in Utah, or in the case of the Vermont ANG, Burlington ANGB. The Vermont ANG were probably the first unit to deploy that was not already in theatre, passing through RAF Lakenheath on February 9th-11th. One of these F-35s had its serial and unit marks taped over but the other five had the normal VT tail code and unit badges. 

For the first time, F-35Cs visited the UK, when VMFA-311 had a protracted stay at Lakenheath as they headed east. These United States Marine Corps Lightning IIs are designed for operating off US Navy carriers so have adaptions such as heavy landing gear, bigger mainplanes and folding wings to facilitate its naval role. 

134th FS, 158th FW, Vermont ANG – tail code – VT 

17-5279, 17-5280, 18-5336, 18-5338, 18-5344, 18-5358 

4th FS, 388th FW, tail code – HL 

17-5252, 22-5686 

34th FS, 388th FW, tail code – HL 

17-5237, 17-5258, 17-5259, 17-5260, 17-5262,18-5452, 18-5455, 18-5456, 20-5568, 20-5610 

421st FS, 388th FW, tail code – HL 

15-5183, 15-5200, 15-5201, 18-5445, 18-5446, 18-5454, 19-5477, 19-5488, 20-5569, 20-5609, 20-5611, 22-5692 

466th FS, 388th FW, tail code – HL 

17-5282, 20-5566 

Support 

As well as the USMC F-35Cs visiting RAF Lakenheath, there was another first-time visitor to RAF Mildenhall on March 31st when two Gulfstream EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft arrived. A joint venture with L3Harris and BAe Systems the EA-37Bs are the replacement for the Lockheed EC-130H. The serials for these 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) of the 55th Electronic Combat Group (ECG) were 17-5579 and 19-1587. The aircraft are based at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona and carry the DM tail code. 

On February 17th two Boeing E-3G Sentry Airborne Early Warning (AEW) jets arrived at RAF Mildenhall for forward deployment. The serial/codes were 75-0556, OK and 82-0007, ZZ.  

All these movements had to be supported by the myriads of aircraft the USAF has for these different missions, for example the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. The KC-135s filled RAF Mildenhall with over twenty visiting tankers on some days adding to the based 100th ARW machines. Other aircraft noted supporting missions in the UK included the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, Lockheed C-130H/J Hercules and civilian contracted aircraft.