The arrival of three C-17s and eleven KC-135s to the Island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean is raising eyebrows as a possible attack pointed towards the Houthis.

The United States Air Force significantly increased its striking power in the Indian Ocean, as multiple Northrop B-2 Spirit bombers were deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, to the British territory of Diego Garcia. The largest island in the Chagos Archipelago is approximately 2,300 miles from Houthi positions in Yemen.

Open-source military watchers on social media noted the arrival of three C-17s and eleven KC-135s at the island’s air base, while at least five B-2s were also spotted arriving. It would be the island’s most significant U.S. military build-up since 2020 and the largest deployment of the B-2s in years.

It comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the United States would carry out strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthi militants until the group ceases its drone and missile attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. 

The fact that the bombers and the support aircraft were sent to the air base in the Indian Ocean has led to speculation that repeated air strikes could begin in the coming days or even hours.

The B-2 Spirit can conduct cross-country sorties from Whiteman AFB to the Middle East, but that requires more than a day in the pilot’s cockpit and multiple refuelings for the aircraft. The Air Force also only has nineteen operational B-2s based at Whiteman, so deploying five or so aircraft, a quarter of the whole fleet, could allow for repeated strike missions more quickly while also serving as a strong deterrent to Tehran.

A Bomber Task Force Mission in Diego Garcia?

The U.S. Air Force has increasingly conducted Bomber Task Force (BTF) missions, rotating its strategic bombers to bases in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific. This year, multiple Rockwell B-1B Lancers were sent to Andersen AFB, Guam, while four Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers were deployed to Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in the UK.

Those BTF missions concluded earlier this month, and this is unlikely to be a follow-up deployment.

“No official comment has been made regarding the deployment of B-2s to Diego Garcia. On typical Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployments or Global Power Missions (GPMs), a press release and images are quick to follow in the hours following the bombers’ arrival. Such deployments also usually do not involve more than two or three B-2 Spirits, a precious and sparse resource in the USAF inventory,” Kai Greet wrote for The Aviationist on Wednesday.

The facility in the British-controlled island chain had previously served as a staging ground for U.S. military operations against Afghanistan in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was utilized again for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003.

Diego Garcia: Prepping for a Houthi Showdown?

The dozen-and-a-half KC-135 tankers could also support multiple aircraft. The B-2s and escorting fighters operated either from Diego Garcia, U.S. bases in the Middle East, or from the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Harry S. Truman, which continues to patrol the region.

Earlier this week, the Houthis claimed to have engaged in “an hours-long exchange” with the Navy’s carrier strike group (CSG), alleging to have targeted multiple destroyers as well as CVN-75, Maritime Executive reported.

“This combat, the second in twenty-four hours, lasted for several hours, during which an enemy air attack against our country was thwarted,” proclaimed Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree.

Keep a Close Eye on Diego Garcia

The U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirits had been employed last October to strike Houthi positions in Yemen. It was the first time the Spirits had been used against the Iranian-backed militant group and the first combat deployment of any B-2s since 2017.

The bombers struck bunkers used to store advanced conventional weapons, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced at the time. The Pentagon didn’t confirm the location, but the Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite news channel did report that there had been airstrikes near Sanaa, Yemen’s capital city–which has been under the militant group’s control since 2014. 

The same facilities and others controlled by the Houthis are likely now in the Spirits’ crosshairs!

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Shutterstock/ Anatoliy Lukich.

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