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HILL AIR FORCE BASE — A squadron of F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Wing and hundreds of airmen were deployed to the Middle East this week to support the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility, Hill Air Force Base officials said Thursday.
Base officials said 421st Fighter Squadron and 421st Fighter Generation Squadron were deployed "side-by-side" as the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron as a part of a "pre-announced" Department of Defense assignment.
Officials did not disclose where they were deployed; however, they said the airmen will work with "regional allies, partners and the U.S. Navy" to help monitor the Strait of Hormuz, a strait between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
"Deployments are what we train for every day. It's exciting for all of our airmen to be able to go out and do the job," said 388th Fighter Wing commander Col. Michael Gette, in a statement. "Despite multiple simultaneous taskings, we got out the door quickly and demonstrated that we can be relied upon."
Forces.net reported Thursday that the F-35s will work to "safeguard" commercial ships and "freedom of navigation" within sea passage after reports that Iran attempted to seize two commercial oil tankers in the strait earlier this month.
Iran fired at one of the tankers before the U.S. Navy dispatched a guided missile destroyer to the scene, the Associated Press reported on July 5. No casualties or major damage were reported at the time. The outlet noted that tensions between the U.S. and Iran "have steadily risen" in recent years following the end of a 2015 nuclear agreement.
"The F-35's increased capacity and capability will allow the U.S. to fly in contested airspace across the theater if required," Gette added.
The Wing's fighter squadrons have been deployed to the Middle East in the past, as well as other parts of the world in recent years. Last year, the 34th Fighter Squadron was deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, while the 421st Fighter Squadron deployed to Anderson Air Force Base in Guam.
