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UK Deploys Six F-35B Jets to RAF Akrotiri for Base Defense

Officials describe the move as routine base protection during heightened US–Iran tensions.

File image: Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning II aircraft arriving at RAF Akrotiri (Cyprus), to take part in Exercise Lightning Dawn. (Image credit: Cpl Tim Laurence/Crown Copyright)
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Six UK RAF F-35B fighter jets sent to Cyprus as defensive measure to boost security (Photo: Joe Giddens/PA)
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Overview

  • Six F-35Bs left RAF Marham for RAF Akrotiri, with RAF Voyager tankers supporting the transit confirmed by open-source flight tracking.
  • The aircraft are assigned a defensive role to protect the sovereign base areas, joining a sizable RAF Typhoon presence at Akrotiri.
  • The Ministry of Defence said the shift follows regular reviews of overseas base security to support stability in the Middle East.
  • The deployment coincides with a US military buildup that includes the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, after US forces downed an Iranian drone on 3 February.
  • US–Iran talks in Muscat were described by both sides as a good start, even as Washington announced new sanctions and tariff measures targeting Iran.