Surge in U.S. Aircraft and Fighter Jets at Israel’s Ovda Air Base

Recent satellite imagery shows a buildup of aircraft at Israel’s Ovda military base, with fighter jets lined up even in an unpaved dirt area.

Sentinel-2 imagery from April 6 shows five fighter jets positioned in a dirt lot next to the main apron northwest of the base, which appeared crowded with aircraft.

Earlier satellite imagery documented expansion work at the base in southern Israel, preparing it to receive military aircraft and U.S. fighter jets involved in strikes on Iran. Imagery from March 10 shows ground preparation in an area adjacent to the main apron northwest of the base, without paving.

Satellite imagery from February 28 shows the construction of a new apron alongside the one to the right of the runway, which was not visible on February 23.

Ahead of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in early June 2025, expansion and renovation work began at the base. Initial work in early April 2025 included expanding the aircraft apron north of the base.

At the same time, another apron was built to the right of the base’s second runway. It appears in aerial imagery from April 19 and is the same location where F-22 fighter jets were lined up in photos from February 25, 2026.

By late May 2025, work on the northern apron was completed, along with part of a road next to the second apron. The base remained largely unchanged until November 2025, when expansion resumed on the main runway apron.

Southeast of the base, rectangular prepared sites surrounded by earthen berms were observed, with no direct connection to the main or secondary runways, suggesting they may serve as storage facilities or air defense battery positions. Work on these sites began in mid-December 2025.

On February 26, the Chinese company Mizar Vision published satellite imagery from February 25 showing what is likely a long-range U.S. Patriot air defense system.

Days earlier, Sentinel-2 imagery showed a road being paved to the air defense deployment site, which did not exist before February 18, 2026.

These developments coincided with the Israeli Air Force’s announcement in early May 2025 of the disbandment of Squadron 115, the last operational squadron based at Ovda, with its assets redistributed to other units.

Ovda is an air base in the southern Negev Desert, established after the Egypt-Israel peace treaty as a replacement for Etzion Air Base in Sinai, which later became Taba International Airport. Alongside Ramon Air Base, it is one of two bases in Israel built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) has described Ovda as “an ideal location for potential U.S. operations against Iran,” noting that much of its infrastructure aligns with U.S. Air Force requirements—helping explain the concentration of U.S. military aircraft and fighter jets at the base.

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