U.S. military assets in South Korea have reportedly begun moving to the Middle East for the first time since American and Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Military transport planes have been observed departing from South Korea, flying through the continental U.S., and then traversing Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Egyptian coast.
Flight tracking data from a popular aviation Apple reveals that a C-17 military transport aircraft took off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, at approximately 3:00 p.m. (South Korean time) on March 5. The aircraft’s route included a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, before touching down in Spangdahlem, Germany.
The C-17 departed Spangdahlem at around 8:00 p.m. on March 6, reaching the eastern Mediterranean coast by 11:24 p.m. that same day. It was spotted again in the same area at 12:55 p.m. on March 7 and returned to Spangdahlem at approximately 4:28 p.m. on March 8.
Another C-17 transport plane left Osan Air Base at about 9:18 a.m. (South Korean time) on March 6. This aircraft made stops in Anchorage, McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, and Spangdahlem before being detected in the eastern Mediterranean around 7:40 p.m. on March 7.
A third C-17, which also departed on March 6, transited through McGuire Air Force Base and was en route to the UK at approximately 5:35 a.m. on March 8. Both Germany and the UK have granted the U.S. limited access to their military airbases at the request of Washington.
The presence of U.S. military transport planes from Osan Air Base in European and Mediterranean airspace suggests a potential redeployment of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) assets to the Middle East. Intelligence reports indicate that USFK recently relocated Patriot missile launchers and other air defense systems from various bases within South Korea to Osan Air Base. This move may be in response to Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. military installations in nearby Middle Eastern countries, including Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), necessitating reinforced air defenses in the region.
Despite these observations, USFK officials remain tight-lipped about the potential deployment of their assets to the Middle East. When asked for comment, a USFK spokesperson stated that due to operational security protocols, they’re unable to discuss the movement, redeployment, or potential redeployment of specific military assets.