Key insights
- The Pentagon is doubling its A-10 attack plane fleet in the Middle East, signaling heightened tensions with Iran. While not a direct economic indicator, increased geopolitical risk in the region, particularly near the Strait of Hormuz, could negatively impact oil prices and indirectly affect US equities by increasing uncertainty.
Investing.com - The Pentagon is doubling its fleet of Air Force A-10 attack planes in the Middle East, two Pentagon officials said on Wednesday, according to a report from the New York Times.
The Air Force is dispatching 18 A-10s to join roughly one dozen A-10s already in the region that U.S. commanders have used to attack Iranian boats and Iran-backed militias in Iraq, according to the officials.
The slow-moving A-10 "Warthog" is a close-air support plane with a cannon at the tip of its nose that can fire 70 30-millimeter shells a second. The A-10 flies at low altitudes and slow speeds, which allows it to loiter over targets on land and at sea.
The planes could be used to help U.S. ground forces seize territory near the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway Iran has effectively closed, or Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil hub in the northern Persian Gulf.
The U.S.-based A-10s have been stopping at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, a base in England, en route to the region, according to flight-tracking data and the Pentagon officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
The presence of A-10s suggests that Iran’s strategic air defenses have been destroyed or greatly suppressed. The plane is more vulnerable to air defenses than fighters.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.