Lajes air base on Terceira Island in the Azores continues to see intense movement of U.S. aircraft – especially refuelling planes – since the United States and Israel launched their ‘epic fury’ attack on Iran on Saturday morning, which has since led to Iran’s retaliation throughout countries of the Middle East.
This morning, only four of the 15 KC-46 Pegasus refuelling aircraft, which have been stationed at the base for over a week, left Lajes, writes Lusa.
Yesterday, however, 13 of these aircraft – capable of refuelling military aircraft in flight – took off. Five refuellers left early morning, returning early afternoon – and in the late afternoon, eight aircraft took off in two groups, returning to base later that evening.
Although there is no official information, these aircraft will almost certainly be refuelling U.S. military aircraft travelling between the United States and the Middle East – or in the opposite direction.
Since the middle of last month, there has been increased movement of U.S. aircraft at Lajes Air Base – leading to a number of critical challenges by left-wingers (particularly PEV, the ‘greens’, and PCP communists, neither of which believe Portugal should be aiding the United States’ in this endeavour. Portugal’s minister of foreign affairs, Paulo Rangel, has since clarified that there is essentially nothing Portugal can do: the agreement in place between the two countries allows for everything that is happening.
In addition to the 15 refuellers using Lajes, 12 F-16 Viper fighter jets, a C-17 Globemaster III military cargo plane, and a C-5M Super Galaxy cargo plane – the largest strategic transport aircraft in the US Air Force – have been clocked by plane spotters as passing through the base.
On Friday – the eve of the attack on Iran – two refuelling aircraft took off from Lajes in the early afternoon and returned in the evening.
On Saturday, five refuelling aircraft took off and also returned in the evening.
Lajes Base “has also been used by several C-130 aircraft, commonly used to transport troops and cargo, belonging to the U.S. Air Force and Navy”, says Lusa – adding that on Saturday, a P-8 Poseidon, a military aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy and designed for anti-submarine warfare, also left Lajes.
Yesterday, president of Azores Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, released a statement for journalists, explaining that “in the current international context of war” the government of the Azores and Portugal’s central government are maintaining contacts and exchanging information – but he confirmed that the agreement giving the United States access to Lajes is being fulfilled (not exceeded, in other words).
Saturday’s epic fury attack on Iran has unleashed a wave of missile bombardments over the entire Middle East region – closing air space and leaving millions in a state of nervous anxiety.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the operation aims to “eliminate imminent threats” from Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the joint action against what he called an “existential threat.”
Since then, both men have moved on to the advantages of regime change.
Hundreds are believed to have died already in Iran, while the U.S. Army has confirmed the deaths now of four American soldiers.
Three U.S. airplanes are also thought to have crashed over Kuwait – their pilots ejecting and subsequently being taken to hospital.
Portugal, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks on neighbouring countries which are home to many thousands of foreign citizens.
Source material: LUSA/ BBC
