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2026-07-15 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

US voices frustration after Israel halts additional US tanker landings at Ben Gurion

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Posted by badanov 2026-07-15 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [292 views ] Top

1 American military planners prefer Ben Gurion International Airport over local military airfields because of its superior, well-equipped infrastructure and its central location close to hotels and support amenities.The primary reasons for this preference include:Advanced Infrastructure: Ben Gurion features heavy-duty runways, extensive parking aprons, and specialized ground-support facilities capable of seamlessly servicing large numbers of heavy strategic refueling aircraft (such as KC-135s and KC-46s).Logistics and Central Location: Being Israel's main civilian gateway near Tel Aviv, it places crews and support personnel close to major commercial hubs, high-capacity lodging, and transportation networks.Operational Flexibility: Operating out of a major international airport allows the U.S. Air Force to integrate smoothly with regional supply chains and maintain strategic requirements under preferred conditions.While this preference has created friction with Israeli officials—who argue that hosting dozens of tankers heavily disrupts civilian traffic and threatens thousands of passenger flights—the U.S. military continues to lean toward Ben Gurion for its unmatched logistical convenience

Posted by Sonny Spaviger7693 2026-07-15 07:12|| 2026-07-15 07:12|| Front Page Top

2 Not to mention proximity to Caesarea Golf Course.

Posted by Besoeker 2026-07-15 07:38|| 2026-07-15 07:38|| Front Page Top

3 I understand there may be openings in Spain.

Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-15 07:46|| 2026-07-15 07:46|| Front Page Top

4 I understand all that, Sonny Spaviger7693, in general at least. Nonetheless, at a time when certain other countries aren’t letting American warplanes land at all, the fact that Israel is offering military airports to meet an American military need is seriously freaking awesome. Especially when the Americans are already leaning hard on Israel to stop fighting the war she is in the middle of with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.

The proper response is a heartfelt “Thank you!”

Posted by trailing wife 2026-07-15 09:04|| 2026-07-15 09:04|| Front Page Top

5 Will USAF Tankers Getting The Boot From Israel’s Biggest Airport Impact Combat Capabilities?

Posted by Skidmark 2026-07-15 09:57|| 2026-07-15 09:57|| Front Page Top

6 On paper there are 99 pax parking spots at TLV plus cargo spots. The US is being cut down to only using 20 total spots. That seems reasonable. US military aircraft spend most of their time on the ground while commercial aircraft operating international routes plan to turn in under 3 hours.

That being said - the US aircraft are presumably segregated in their own area with additional ground security. And are closely parked to free up space for all the other traffic. That frankly makes them a huge target for anything from mortars to drones to rocket attacks. Which in turn means additional ADA support that can't be used elsewhere.

Note that in the recent rounds of attack Israel has been noticeably absent from strikes on Iran. Doing so would trigger the tit for tat that the other US allies in the area have enjoyed. I doubt that Israel will refrain from joining the party indefinitely. When they do it'll be interesting to see which target set the Iranians pursue.

Posted by Dopey Photch2701 2026-07-15 18:27|| 2026-07-15 18:27|| Front Page Top

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