Twelve F-16 fighter jets from the Oklahoma Air National Guard left Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany on Tuesday, continuing a deployment toward the U.S. Central Command area in the Middle East, according to open-source flight tracking data.
The jets, from the 138th Fighter Wing, had arrived in Germany only about a week earlier, using the base as a staging point rather than a final destination. Three KC-135R refueling tankers launched from Bucharest, joined the fighters over Germany and escorted them onward toward the Gulf. The F-16s flew in three cells of four aircraft each, in a movement identified as Coronet East 113.
The deployment is one of several recent U.S. fighter rotations into the region. Earlier this month, twelve F-16s from the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing moved toward CENTCOM after staging in the Azores. Those jets appeared set to replace another group of U.S. F-16s returning from the Middle East to Aviano, Italy, pointing to a deliberate rotation aimed at maintaining a steady American fighter presence in the region.
The 138th Fighter Wing is based at Tulsa Air National Guard Base and flies Block 42 F-16C/D jets. The unit has a long history of Middle East deployments, including operations over Iraq and missions from bases in Kuwait and Iraq.
The Pentagon has not released official details on the jets' destination base or mission.
