U.S. primarily based F-35A Lightning IIs and EA-18G Growlers are the most recent fight jets to go to U.S. Southern Command, whereas HH-60W Pave Hawks have relocated from Japan to Puerto Rico.
Including to the already potent and unprecedented pressure assembled with the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), comprising the united statesGerald R. Ford service strike group (CSG), the united statesIwo Jima amphibious prepared group (ARG), and a variety of fight and assist plane ahead deployed to Puerto Rico and different areas within the area, we now have affirmation of the primary deployment of U.S. Air Drive tactical fighters in addition to a notable array of different belongings.
An unnamed U.S. official informed The Battle Zone on Dec. 11, 2025 that the 158th Fighter Wing (FW) from the Vermont Air Nationwide Guard (ANG) are making ready to deploy to SOUTHCOM to hitch the continued operation there, formally titled Operation Southern Spear.
Ostensibly, Southern Spear is an effort to counter alleged narcotics smuggling within the Caribbean area, nevertheless it has constantly been rumored that the mission will quickly increase to incorporate direct motion in opposition to targets inside Venezuela – accused by the U.S. Authorities of being aligned with the alleged drug smugglers. At current the one strikes have focused boats at sea, which the U.S. maintains have been getting used to smuggle narcotics, although U.S. forces have now additionally intercepted and seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.
Flights by B-52 Stratofortress and B-1B Lancer strategic bombers have skirted the perimeters of Venezuelan airspace throughout what have been formally labeled ‘bomber assault demonstration’ missions, and F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornets working from the CSG have even operated contained in the Gulf of Venezuela close to Maracaibo, the nation’s second largest metropolis. These flights have remained in worldwide airspace all through, however it’s clear who the missions are supposed to ship a message to.
Topping our most observe flights record proper now: a pair of US Navy F/A-18s over the Gulf of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/8Nt548B0mB
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 9, 2025
Suppression of Enemy Air Defences
The 158th FW’s F-35As, an unknown variety of which is able to be part of Southern Spear, are operated by the 134th Fighter Squadron and have been the primary examples of the fifth-generation stealth fighter to be assigned to an ANG unit. Notably, whereas the squadron was primarily tasked with the air defence function when it operated the F-16 Preventing Falcon, since transferring to the F-35 it has pivoted in direction of the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) mission set. In 2022, the unit deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and sported patches that includes a weasel holding a lightning bolt. This can be a frequent motif for squadrons who cowl the ‘Wild Weasel’ mission, a long-running nickname for SEAD.
In the meantime, already in theatre at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico – having arrived on Dec. 10 – are six EA-18G Growlers, becoming a member of the F-35B Lightning IIs and various assist plane there. These Growlers, that are SEAD and digital warfare (EW) specialised variants of the F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet, are along with the squadron already current on the CSG. Photos of the jets on the Puerto Rico base reveal that they deployed with each the distinctive, however ageing, AN/ALQ-99 EW pods in addition to the model new AN/ALQ-249 Subsequent Era Jammer-Mid Band (NGJ-MB). The AN/ALQ-249 debuted operationally final 12 months, and preliminary working functionality was declared in January 2025.
At Roosevelt Roads at the moment, the EA-18G Growler stands prepared, a jet constructed to drown enemy radar, sever communications, and blind air defenses to guard the plane pushing into contested airspace. @reuterspictures @Reuters pic.twitter.com/SDNqm04tQt
— Ricardo Arduengo (@Arduengo787) December 10, 2025
It’s clear from the quantity of SEAD-specific forces deployed that, ought to the U.S. start strikes inside Venezuela, the specter of air defence programs is a reasonably main concern. Venezuelan chief Nicolás Maduro boasted in October that his nation has amassed 5,000 Russian-made air defence missiles, starting from man-portable air defence programs (MANPADS) by way of to S-300VM surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries. Feedback from Russian politicians have moreover urged the current supply of Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E anti-aircraft programs on board a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane.
Throughout Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 raid on Iranian nuclear services, USAF B-2 Spirit bombers have been escorted by a major SEAD package deal which included F-35s and F-22 Raptors in addition to fourth-generation fighters. In complete, the strike concerned over 125 plane, lots of which might have been primarily tasked with both SEAD or defensive/offensive counter-air (DCA/OCA).
Having a robust SEAD functionality in place is likely one of the most necessary steps in making ready for any marketing campaign in opposition to an adversary with a considerable air defence functionality. It’s even attainable that the fly-bys of Venezuelan airspace by F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornets, in addition to by strategic bombers, have in actual fact been makes an attempt to attract air defence radar programs throughout Venezuela out of hiding. By activating the radar programs to detect, and even lock on and ‘paint’ the U.S. jets, radar operators would have given American forces very important knowledge relating to their location, kind, and working frequencies. These would be capable of be hit in day one strikes by Tomahawk Land Assault Missiles (TLAM) or GPS-guided standoff weapons, whereas any additional radar exercise throughout a battle would invite the launch of anti-radiation missiles.
Fight Search and Rescue
Although it’s an eventuality that any navy hopes to not see occur, one of many many preparations vital earlier than any giant air marketing campaign can start in earnest is the institution of a functionality to retrieve aircrews who’ve been shot down, or crashed for another motive, over hostile territory.
The fight search and rescue (CSAR) – or Tactical Restoration of Plane and Personnel (TRAP) as it’s recognized in lower-threat environments – mission can contain many layers of belongings, and it’s educated for by quite a lot of models in case they could be the closest unit when the decision comes. In Libya, for instance, when an F-15E Strike Eagle from RAF Lakenheath’s 492nd Fighter Squadron crashed throughout Operation Odyssey Daybreak in 2011, the pilot and weapon programs officer (WSO), having each ejected safely, have been rescued by a USS Kearsage-based MV-22 Osprey.
The Iwo Jima ARG hosts each MV-22 Ospreys in addition to CH-53E Tremendous Stallions in its air wing, each of which have beforehand taken half in CSAR/TRAP sorties, however a devoted CSAR unit has now appeared on the deck in Puerto Rico.
HH-60W Pave Hawks have been famous in press pictures being unloaded at Roosevelt Roads from a U.S. Air Drive C-17A Globemaster III airlifter. Utilizing plane monitoring software program it’s attainable to discern that the plane’s flight, utilizing the callsign REACH 575, originated at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Stopping at Yokota Air Base, close to Tokyo, Elmendorf AFB close to Anchorage, Alaska, and MacDill AFB in Florida on the way in which, the jet arrived in Puerto Rico on Dec. 11.
RCH575’s cargo was USAF HH-60Ws from Kadena Air Base in Japan.
Credit score: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters. pic.twitter.com/58ibWbFbzr
— LatAmMilMovements (@LatAmMilMVMTs) December 11, 2025
The origin is notable as the house of the thirty third Rescue Squadron (RQS), one in every of solely two HH-60 Pave Hawk CSAR helicopter models completely stationed exterior of the USA. It isn’t clear precisely why this unit was chosen to offer plane to this SOUTHCOM mission, however as ahead deployed models – a lot nearer to the standard frontline missions – the thirty third RQS together with the Aviano, Italy-based 56th RQS are held at fixed excessive readiness and are undoubtedly comprised of a number of the most skilled and well-trained crews that the USAF CSAR helicopter pressure can provide.
Backing up the HH-60Ws, which boast an in-flight refueling functionality for prolonged vary missions, the U.S. has already deployed HC-130J Fight King IIs and MC-130J Commando IIs to Puerto Rico. Each of those plane are designed to offer aerial refueling to rotary wing plane, and are additionally geared up with a variety of sensors and communications tools to help with secretive particular operations.
A Reuters picture from at the moment (11 Dec) reveals 3x USAF HC-130Js from Moody AFB on the ramp at Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico.
Credit score: Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters. pic.twitter.com/oAV7VEp9yn
— LatAmMilMovements (@LatAmMilMVMTs) December 11, 2025
The HC-130J particularly is designated as a personnel restoration plane, designed to assist CSAR helicopters with refueling and mission coordination in addition to straight ship restoration personnel and provides to help them by parachute if vital.
Each the MC-130J and HC-130J can, in flip, be refueled by boom-equipped tankers just like the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus. This permits ‘daisy chaining’ operations the place growth tankers prolong the vary of MC-130J/HC-130J plane which then prolong the vary of suitably geared up helicopters or tiltrotor V-22 Ospreys. If helicopters with out in-flight refueling probes want long-range assist, the fastened wing plane can land in austere areas and set up ahead space refueling factors (FARPs) on the bottom.
Mixed with each different deployed unit, the variety of which precludes us from itemizing all of them right here, SOUTHCOM is now at a absolutely unprecedented degree of functionality. Whether or not they are going to be put to make use of stays within the fingers of politicians and commanders again in Washington D.C.
