Less Than Two Minutes to React — US Urgently Changes Strategy Near Iran

The Pentagon has begun implementing a secret plan, code-named 'Incubator Arc,' to reduce US air and strike presence at forward bases near Iran. The plan involves withdrawing F-15 and F-16 squadrons and aerial tankers to a more protected arc between Mediterranean islands and NATO bases in Southern Europe. The reason is base vulnerability: warning time for Patriot and THAAD systems has dropped to less than two minutes. Aviation in Israel (F-35s at Nevatim and Tzerim bases) is retained as a reserve.

The Pentagon has begun implementing a secret and urgent plan, code-named 'Incubator Arc,' to reduce US air and strike presence at forward bases in the Middle East. According to the website Arm News, citing Western sources, the plan calls for the withdrawal of strategic aviation assets and a reduction of strike forces at bases near Iran. The implementation coincided with President Donald Trump's decision to cancel a planned airstrike on Iran. After the cancellation, the measures turned into an unofficial defensive configuration to protect US Air Force assets from a possible preemptive strike. The US has begun moving F-15 and F-16 squadrons and aerial tankers from vulnerable runways. The aircraft are being relocated to a more protected geographic arc between Mediterranean islands and NATO bases in Southern Europe. Intelligence assessments indicate the vulnerability of traditional force positioning: geographic proximity to Iran reduces warning time for Patriot and THAAD systems to less than two minutes. The plan has transformed into a strategy of 'deterrence outside the region': strategic bombers are stationed in Southern Europe, with rapid deployment points in the Mediterranean. The Pentagon maintains heightened readiness of destroyers with the Aegis system. American aviation assets in Israel are not affected by the plan: F-35 fighters remain at Nevatim and Tzerim bases in the Negev, as Israel's multi-layered air defense system, reinforced by THAAD, provides them with more reliable protection. There has been no official confirmation of the plan from the Pentagon.