Patriot missiles, stratotankers & C-17s: Satellite photos reveal massive US military build-up near Iran
Image: US Army, Reuters
US forces at Qatar’s al-Udeid air base, the largest US military facility in the Middle East, loaded Patriot missiles onto mobile truck launchers as tensions with Iran escalated since January, according to analysis of satellite imagery.The move to keep the missiles on mobile platforms, rather than semi-static launcher stations, indicates heightened security concerns, allowing the systems to be rapidly deployed or repositioned defensively in the event of a potential Iranian attack.
Satellite images from early February compared with January indicate a recent build-up of aircraft and other military equipment across the region, according to William Goodhind, a forensic imagery analyst with Contested Ground.At al-Udeid, Patriot missiles were observed mounted on M983 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) at the beginning of February, he said.“The decision to do so gives the Patriots much greater mobility, meaning they can be moved to an alternative site or repositioned with greater speed,” Goodhind said, as cited by Reuters. Iran said it has replenished its missile stockpiles following two weeks of conflict last summer, when Israel struck its nuclear facilities and other military targets, a campaign later joined by the United States.
A composite of satellite images shows the placement of MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems at Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar, comparing January 17, 2026, with February 1, 2026 (Image: Reuters)
Iran maintains underground missile complexes near Tehran, Kermanshah, Semnan and along the Gulf coast. Satellite images also showed the Iranian naval drone carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri at sea about 5 km off Bandar Abbas on January 27, and again near the port on February 10.
Here are developments at US bases in the Middle East observed in satellite imagery:
Al-Udeid, Qatar:Satellite images from February 1 showed an RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, three C-130 Hercules aircraft, 18 KC-135 Stratotankers, and seven C-17 transport planes at the base. On January 17, there had been 14 Stratotankers and two C-17s.
A composite of satellite images shows an increase in aircraft at Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar, comparing January 17, 2026, with February 1, 2026. (Image: Reuters)
The images also showed up to 10 MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems mounted on HEMTT vehicles, as cited by Reuters.Muwaffaq, Jordan:Satellite images from February 2 of one location in Muwaffaq showed 17 F-15E strike aircraft, eight A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft, four C-130 transport planes, and four unidentified helicopters. Images from January 16 were low resolution, making it difficult to identify all aircraft present.Images from February 2 of a second site in Muwaffaq showed a C-17, a C-130 and four EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. Satellite images from January 25 had shown no aircraft at that location.
What are Patriot air defence systems?
The Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target, or Patriot (MIM-104), is a long-range air defence system designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. It is produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in the United States.The Patriot system is used by the United States and several allied countries, including Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Poland, Sweden, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Spain and Taiwan.
Image: US Army
US forces deployed Patriot systems during the 2003 Iraq conflict, stationing them in Kuwait, where they intercepted surface-to-surface missiles using PAC-3 and guidance-enhanced missiles.The US department of defence also approved the deployment of additional forces and military systems, including two Patriot missile batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, to Saudi Arabia in October 2019.The move followed a drone attack on oil facilities operated by Saudi Aramco in September 2019.
