On Friday, February 20, a US Air Force C-5M “Super Galaxy” transport plane landed at the Mildenhall Air Base in eastern England. Meanwhile, the US Navy’s largest and newest aircraft carrier, the Ford-class fleet, is on its way to the waters near Iran, having already passed through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Flight tracking data indicated that a C-5M aircraft landed at Mildenhall on Friday morning, and the video footage’s date was verified through the original file metadata. Reuters confirmed the location of the video shoot to be Mildenhall based on the buildings, road layout, fences, trees, and terrain seen in the footage, matching documents and satellite images.
According to the text on the aircraft and document images, Reuters also identified the plane as a US Air Force C-5M “Super Galaxy” transport aircraft.
The C-5M “Super Galaxy” is the largest and most powerful strategic transport aircraft in active service with the US Air Force, also being the largest aircraft. Its carrying capacity is double that of other transport planes, capable of transporting helicopters, armored vehicles, humanitarian aid, and conducting intercontinental flights.
US President Trump stated on Friday that he is considering limited military strikes against Iran, warning that the Iranian government “better negotiate a fair deal.” Trump had also urged Iran on Thursday to reach an agreement, setting a deadline of 10 to 15 days. Iranian authorities threatened retaliation against US bases in the region if attacked.
The US has conducted airstrikes in the Middle East using the RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire and the British Overseas Territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. However, the BBC reported that the UK government did not permit the US to use British military bases to support potential strikes against Iran.
Meanwhile, satellite images showed the US Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carrier sailing at sea on Friday. Reuters confirmed through the carrier’s archival images and verified footage that the ship seen in the satellite images was indeed the Ford-class.
Eyewitnesses informed The War Zone that the Ford-class carrier and one of its accompanying Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, the USS Mahan (DDG-72), passed through the Strait of Gibraltar around 1 pm local time on Friday.
According to the US Naval Institute News, the Ford-class carrier transited through the Strait of Gibraltar on Friday and is currently on a mission in the Mediterranean. Local ship spotters reported that the Ford-class and USS Mahan entered the Mediterranean around 6:30 am Eastern time.
When asked about the transit of the Ford-class carrier, a Pentagon spokesperson told the US Naval Institute News, “We have no further information to provide.”
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), along with the 9th Carrier Air Wing and its escort vessels, arrived in the US Central Command in January.
According to reports from the US Naval Institute News Fleet and Marine Tracker, in addition to carrier strike groups, the Navy has deployed missile destroyers to the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean.
Officials in Europe and the Middle East believe that the current US military deployments provide the capability for large-scale aggressive strikes against Iran while defending US military bases, allies, and Israel.