US hiding military aircraft? American warplanes vanish from Qatar base amid Israel-Iran tensions

Dozens of American military aircraft have disappeared from the tarmac of the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, satellite images show — a quiet but pointed move, which as per reports may be to shield US warplanes from eventual Iranian strikes. This comes as the United States prepares for the possibility of war and weighs in on whether to intervene in Tehran's conflict with Israel. While earlier nearly 40 military aircraft, including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft, were parked on the US base tarmac in Qatar, now only a few remain. Why is that? Here's all we know.

Missing warplanes: A strategic withdrawal? Or quiet preparation for something much bigger?

As per an AFP report, just two weeks back, there were nearly 40 US military aircraft at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Satellite images from 5 June 2021 show over two dozen warplanes; however, the latest images, taken on June 19, show only three aircraft.

This comes, as the US embassy in Qatar on Thursday announced that access to the air base would be limited "out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities" as it urged personnel to "exercise increased vigilance."

The quiet vanishing act comes as President Donald Trump weighs whether to bring the US into the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. The White House has said that Trump would take some time to decide whether to join ally Israel against Iran.

As per Mark Schwartz, a former US Army lieutenant general and defence analyst at Rand Corporation, given the "close proximity" to Iran, the personnel, aircraft, and installations at Al Udeid would be "extremely vulnerable".

Schwartz warned that even indirect hits — say, from missile shrapnel — could render expensive aircraft "non-mission capable."

"You want to reduce risk to US forces, both personnel and equipment," he told AFP.

Where did the planes go?

While the US is yet to make an official statement, it is believed that the warplanes may have been moved to hangars or potentially to other bases in the region.

Talking to AFP, a US defence official, declining to reveal specific details, simply said the military remains "committed to maintaining operational security while executing our mission with the highest level of readiness, lethality, and professionalism."

Open-source flight tracking shows at least 27 refuelling planes — KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotankers — flew from the US to Europe between June 15 and 18. Most haven’t come back. 25 of these, as per the report, are still in Europe and only two have returned to the US.