US military relocates Patriot missiles to Mideast in major airlift operation

The US military has redeployed a Patriot missile defense battalion from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, a major logistical operation involving at least 73 C-17 cargo flights, Axios reported citing Indo-Pacific Command boss.

The Patriot system, capable of intercepting missiles and aircraft, arrives at a tense time in the region.

The move is part of a broader US military buildup under Central Command, which now includes two aircraft carriers—Carl Vinson and Harry S. Truman—and an unusually large group of B-2 bombers sent to Diego Garcia, the report said.