2,200 Marines ยท USS Tripoli + USS New Orleans
F-35Bs, Ospreys, amphibious assault
~80% transit
ETA: Fri Mar 28
Ordered Mar 13 ยท Source: WSJ
~3,000 paratroopers + Combat Aviation Bde
AH-64 Apaches, Black Hawks ยท Ft. Liberty NC
Staging in Kuwait/Qatar
ETA: Mar 27-28
Orders signed Mar 24 ยท Immediate Response Force
11th MEU ยท 2,500 Marines
LCAC hovercraft, ground assault capable
~15% transit
ETA: ~Apr 10
Left San Diego Mar 18-20 ยท Pacific transit
3x Carrier Strike Groups
CSG-3 โ USS Lincoln (CVN-72) ยท Arabian Sea ON STATION
CSG-12 โ USS Ford (CVN-78) ยท Red Sea/E. Med ON STATION
CSG-2 โ USS Bush (CVN-77) ยท En Route DEPLOYING
~270 aircraft total ยท Largest carrier presence since Iraq 2003
USAF + Strategic
B-2 Spirit ยท B-1B Lancer ยท B-52H โ bomber triad
12x F-22 Raptor (Ovda AB) ยท F-15E (Jordan)
~200 combat aircraft across land + carrier
E-4B Nightwatch + E-6B Mercury (nuclear C2)
MC-130J Commando II โ SOF insertion
Ground forces converging
82nd ABN (~3K) + 31st MEU (2.2K) = 5,200 inbound
USS Boxer ARG (2.5K) arriving ~Apr 10
82nd drops from sky + Marines from sea = Kharg posture
Bolton: "Kharg buildup may be deception op"
Johnson: "doesn't necessarily signal invasion"