Besides Aircraft Carriers, Here Are US Weapons Around Iran

Amidst Israel's attacks on Iran, the United States has deployed an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The United States possesses a significant amount of weaponry in the region, which is located 12,000 kilometers from Washington DC.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, on Monday (16/6/2025) afternoon Washington DC time or Tuesday morning WIB, revealed the deployment of an additional aircraft carrier. "We are vigilant, we are prepared, we have consistently sent the message from the beginning that we are in the region to defend our citizens and assets," said Hegseth.

From the South China Sea, the naval strike group (guspurla) USS Nimitz has been ordered to move to the Middle East. The announcement was made after the oldest operational aircraft carrier of the United States passed through the Strait of Malacca.

Brigadier General (Retired) Steven Anderson told CNN that there is one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and one Ticonderoga-class cruiser on board the Guspurla Nimitz. The Guspurla also carries a total of nine squadrons of fighter jets, helicopters and other aircraft.

Anderson, the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Forces in Iraq in 2007, stated that the Nimitz strike group will join the Carl Vinson strike group. Like the Nimitz, the Carl Vinson is also accompanied by Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers. Prior to the Nimitz, the Carl Vinson served alongside the Harry Truman in the Middle East.

The USS Carl Vinson was also accompanied by Destroyer Squadron 1. Like the Nimitz, there are a total of nine air squadrons on the Carl Vinson. The aircraft carried include F-35 and F/A-18 fighter jets.

Under optimal conditions, both of these amphibious assault ships can transport a total of 160 aircraft and helicopters of various types. The difference is that on the Nimitz, there are only F/A-18s and various types of helicopters.

In the standard formation of the US Navy's surface action group, each aircraft carrier is typically accompanied by one cruiser and up to six destroyers. The surface action group is also accompanied by one submarine and one logistics ship.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the Guspurla ships, up to 44 fighter jets and 30 units of various types of aircraft and helicopters can be placed.

The total crew is 7,500. They include pilots, marines, and sailors of various wars. Guspurla is a floating combat base.

As stated by Anderson, the United States has other ships around Iran. At the Bahrain base, five warships and one support vessel have been observed. The United States has stationed the USS Canberra, USS Sentry, USS Devastator, USS Gladiator, and USS Dextrous at the Bahrain base.

The MV Ocean Trader, which is a specialized combat support vessel, is also stationed there. The MV Ocean Trader is operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. The U.S. primarily uses the ship as a floating base for special forces.

Meanwhile, in the Arabian Sea to the Indian Ocean, a total of one aircraft carrier and 10 other warships have been observed. At least one submarine, the USS Georgia, has also been detected.

The tracked warships are USS Princeton, USS Sullivan, USS Milius, USS Truxtun, USS Sterett, USS Wayne Meyer, and USS Ralph Johnson. Additionally, USS Amelia Earhart, USS Cesar Chavez, and USS Guadalupe have also been tracked.

Together with the USS Carl Vinson, they are under the command of the US Central Command (Centcom). This command is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and North Africa.

In addition to the Arabian Sea, the United States has also deployed several warships off the western coast of Israel. These ships are on standby to assist Israel in repelling various missile and drone attacks.

US fighter jets around Iran are not only on the decks of the Nimitz and Carl Vinson. The US has an A-10 Thunderbolt II Squadron stationed at a ground base in the Middle East.

The United States has also deployed F-16 and F-15E fighter jets in the region. Until December 2024, the United States had stationed F-22s in the Middle East for a year. Subsequently, the United States returned those fighter jets.

The US also operates a number of drones for both surveillance and strike purposes. US MQ-9 drones have been repeatedly shot down by Houthis from Yemen.

The United States is currently sending additional air tanker aircraft. Flight tracking websites indicate that 31 U.S. air tanker aircraft are heading to the Middle East on Monday. The majority of these aircraft are KC-135 and KC-46.

The tankers can refuel approximately 240 fighter jets. Tankers enable fighter jets to operate multiple times the distance of their maximum range.

Not only in bases in the Middle East, the United States has also deployed air assets in the Indian Ocean. Before Israel attacked Iran, the United States deployed dozens of bombers to the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.

In May 2025, several aircraft departed from the British-owned base. Currently, the United States maintains a number of B-2 and B-52 bombers at the base.

The aircraft, among other capabilities, can drop the GBU-57. This bomb can penetrate bunkers located up to 60 meters underground. It weighs 1.5 tons and is 6 meters long.

The weapon that Israel hopes will be provided by the United States to attack Iran. So far, the United States has only delivered, among other things, 300 Hellfire missiles. The missiles arrived in Israel last Tuesday.

Since last Saturday, several Israeli officials have reportedly been persuading the United States to release the bomb to Iran. The primary target is the underground warehouse of the Fordow reactor. Israel does not have weapons capable of penetrating that facility.

The B-52 bomber is not only capable of launching the GBU-57. The aircraft can also fire the AGM-86 and AGM-158. The F-16, F/A-18, and F-15 fighter jets are also capable of launching the AGM-158 missile.

There are three most famous missiles from the United States: Tomahawk, Hellfire, and Harpoon. The Tomahawk can be launched from land and sea launchers. Its naval version can be launched from warships and submarines. The United States has repeatedly fired Tomahawk missiles to strike various locations in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Hellfire missiles are launched from various manned or unmanned fighter aircraft. The United States sent 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel last Tuesday.

As for Harpoon, it is mainly for attacking ships. Harpoon missiles have land-launched and sea-launched variants.

While drones most often fire Hellfire missiles. To target ships, there are AGM-84 Harpoon missiles.

Meanwhile, from its warships, the US often fires Tomahawk missiles. In addition to attacking, these missiles can also be used to intercept attacks. Other missiles include the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, RIM-66, and RIM-156A.

The US has developed a new variant of the Sea Sparrow, called the RIM-162. The supersonic missile is designed to target ships.

For air defense artillery (Arhanud), the US relies on the MIM-104A. This missile is used in the most famous arhanud, the Patriot.

In addition to the sea, the United States has military assets at least in 19 ground bases in the Middle East. Except for Yemen, there is no Arab country without the presence of a U.S. base. There is also a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia. Yemen is monitored from the U.S. base in Djibouti, a country across from Yemen.

A number of bases were created and maintained by the US without the consent of the local governments. This happened in Syria and Iraq.

The United States has gradually deployed troops in the Middle East since 1958. Currently, there are at least 40,000 U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. They are located in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria.

The United States has also stationed troops in Israel. They operate a number of air defense artillery systems. The United States has deployed two THAAD batteries, which are long-range missile interceptors. Each battery is manned by at least 100 soldiers. Thus, there are 200 U.S. soldiers in Israel solely for the THAAD system.

There are still other air defense units placed by the US in Israel and bases in other countries. Air defense units are also stationed on warships.

From its warships, the United States primarily relies on the Phalanx CIWS to fend off aerial attacks. If the attacking projectiles are still at a distance, the United States intercepts them with missiles launched from the naval version of Aegis.

The United States is developing Aegis versions for both sea and land as a defense system. In October 2024, the destroyer USS Bulkeley utilized the maritime Aegis to intercept an Iranian missile.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the United States relies on C-RAM. This short-range air defense system is used to counter mortars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and missiles targeting the base. In 2024, C-RAM defended U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria from attacks by local militias.

The United States certainly operates Patriot air defense batteries at several bases in the Middle East. This flagship air defense system is deployed from Jordan to Saudi Arabia.

To assist Israel, the United States does not solely rely on ground-based air defense systems. US-Jordanian jets frequently patrol, targeting missiles and drones aimed at Israel. (AP/AFP/REUTERS)