00:00The U.S. is mounting its largest military build-up in the Middle East since 2003.
00:07Here's a list of the weapons and hardware that it sent to the region
00:11as the Trump administration pressures Iran to strike a deal that would limit its nuclear and military capabilities.
00:19At least a dozen warships, collectively worth an estimated 50 billion, have been deployed to the region.
00:26Satellite imagery shows the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
00:32And a second carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, is on the way.
00:38The $13 billion Ford is the Navy's most expensive and most advanced aircraft carrier,
00:44while the Lincoln is one of only a few U.S. carriers equipped with F-35 stealth fighters.
00:52Along with the carriers, the U.S. has deployed nine Arleigh Burke-class destroyers,
00:57capable of shooting down ballistic missiles and deploying Tomahawk cruise missiles.
01:04The U.S. Navy also has three literal combat ships near the Strait of Hormuz
01:10that are built to find and destroy sea mines, among other nearshore missions.
01:15Iran has threatened to place underwater explosives in the strategic waterway
01:20to damage ships and possibly block one of the world's most important oil routes.
01:25The Navy has deployed the USS Georgia, a guided missile submarine that launched cruise missiles
01:31at Iranian targets in Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025.
01:35It's there to deter Iran from attacking U.S. forces and to provide cruise missile capabilities if needed.
01:42Supporting the warships are the dry cargo ship USNS Karl Brasheer,
01:47which provides ammunition, food, repair parts, and fuel,
01:51and the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser,
01:56which can refuel ships at sea.
02:00The U.S. military deployed dozens of aircraft to the region,
02:03but because Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aren't allowing U.S. aircraft
02:08to use their airspace to strike Iran, many are based in Jordan.
02:12Here's what we know is there.
02:14An assortment of fighter jets, including F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning fighter jets,
02:21both of which can evade radar detection using stealth technology.
02:25The EA-18G Growler's specialty is electronic warfare.
02:30It's designed to detect and destroy enemy radar systems.
02:34At least two squadrons of the F-16 Fighting Falcon have been deployed to the region,
02:39despite the aircraft being phased out of service.
02:42It carries high-speed missiles designed to destroy enemy air defense systems.
02:47The F-15E Strike Eagle is equipped to destroy enemy missiles and drones,
02:52as it did in Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025.
02:56It can also strike ground targets.
02:58Considered the backbone of Navy aviation,
03:01the F-18 Super Hornet is a versatile fighter used for reconnaissance and strike operations.
03:08Finally, the A-10C Thunderbolt II, known as the Warthog.
03:13It's the Air Force's primary low-altitude close-air support aircraft,
03:18a critical component in targeting ground forces.
03:21Along with the fighters, the U.S. has deployed aircraft like the V-22 Osprey,
03:26which carries a price tag of about $84 million.
03:29Its primary task is quickly inserting and extracting troops.
03:34The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is an early warning radar plane
03:38that can detect and target enemy missiles and aircraft.
03:42Heavy-lift transport aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III and C-5M Super Galaxy
03:49can deliver weapons, vehicles, and personnel.
03:53More than 100 KC-135 strato-tanker aircraft have been deployed,
03:59ready to fuel aircraft in midair to extend their range.
04:04The Navy's twin-engine MH-60 Seahawk helicopter includes anti-submarine technology,
04:11combat capabilities, and supports search and rescue.
04:15It can carry 6,000 pounds of internal cargo.
04:18The U.S. military is also preparing for retaliatory missile and drone strikes from Iran.
04:25This satellite imagery shows Iran's progress in re-fortifying its own military installations
04:31since U.S. military strikes in 2025.
04:34The U.S. has deployed THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems to the region.
04:39THAAD can intercept ballistic missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.
04:44The Patriot system combats shorter-range missiles at lower altitudes.
04:50The scale of the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East highlights how seriously Washington
04:56is preparing for the possibility of a conflict with Iran.
04:59The Patriot missile system
05:04The
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