US Special Forces’ Secret Flights From Cyprus to Israel

The U.S. military has been flying covert planes to Israel from RAF Akrotiri since the bombing of Gaza began, Matt Kennard reports.

By Matt Kennard
Declassified UK

• Unmarked planes are being used by U.S. forces to fly from Cyprus to Israel, including as recently as June 26

• The aircraft are believed to be used by highly secretive 427th Special Operations Squadron and the C.I.A.

• Declassified also finds 26 huge U.S. military transport planes have landed at U.K. base on Cyprus, believed to be carrying weapons for Israel

• Revelations could further implicate British ministers in war crimes

The U.S. Air Force has been sending unmarked planes from Britain’s base on Cyprus to Israel since it began bombing Gaza, it can be revealed.

The planes are all C-295 and CN-235 aircraft, which are believed to be used by American special forces. 

Declassified has found 18 of these aircraft which have gone from the sprawling British air base on Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, to Israel’s coastal city Tel Aviv since Oct. 7.

Akrotiri is the key node in the international effort to arm and provide logistical support for Israel’s assault on Gaza.

But the U.K. government has always refused to divulge any information about U.S. activities at Akrotiri, which is known to include transporting weapons to Israel.

Asked in May how many U.S. Air Force (USAF) flights had taken off from the base since Oct. 7, Defence Minister Leo Docherty said: “The Ministry of Defence does not comment on the operations of our Allies.”

But Declassified discovered the unmarked planes that flew from Akrotiri to Israel from November to June have a serial number showing they are operated by the USAF. Most of these journeys had the flight number GONZO62.

Six more unmarked C-130 planes have gone from Akrotiri to Tel Aviv since the bombing of Gaza began, which are believed to be USAF, but it was not possible for Declassified to locate their operator.

The C-130 can carry 128 combat troops and almost 20 tonnes of cargo.

The new information could further implicate British ministers in war crimes in Gaza. In November 2023, a U.S. military official revealed that American special forces were stationed in Israel and “actively helping the Israelis”.

A spokesperson for the U.K. Ministry of Defence would only tell Declassified: 

“In response to the situation in Israel and Gaza, we are working with international partners to de-escalate the conflict, reinforce stability and support humanitarian efforts in the region. Any use of U.K. bases will be in line with these objectives.”

Fort Liberty

Most of the unmarked planes show that they were recently at Fayetteville, North Carolina, which is home to Fort Liberty, the largest U.S. Army base by population with nearly 50,000 active-duty soldiers.

Formerly called Fort Bragg, it is home to the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) which “assigns, equips, trains, certifies, and validates [Army Special Operations Forces] Soldiers and units to conduct global operations”.

The Pentagon says this unit is “the most adaptable and capable enabling force in the United States military.”

The planes, the C-295 and CN-235, are produced by Airbus and believed to be used by 427th Special Operations Squadron which has been described as USAF’s “most secretive squadron” and is based at Fort Liberty.

After a reporter filed a Freedom of Information Act request, the Air Force told him the unit supports “training requirements…for infiltration and exfiltration” — a reference to the covert deployment and extraction of special forces behind enemy lines. 

The aircraft’s primary military roles include maritime patrol, surveillance and air transport. It can carry 70 military personnel or 48 paratroopers.

In February 2023, an unmarked CN-235 went to eastern Europe to support President Joe Biden’s trip to Ukraine and Poland. 

This plane arrived at the USAF base in Britain, RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on Feb. 17, where it spent the night before leaving for Poland the following day. 

One journalist noted: “Sporting a single-tone slate grey livery, this rare, secretive [Air Force Special Operations Command] aircraft wore no identifiable national markings, air arm/unit insignia or serial number details.”

But the serial number of the U.S. plane at RAF Mildenhall was eventually located and is the same as the plane that has flown from Akrotiri to Israel five times since March, including as recently as June 26. 

Transport Flights

Declassified has also found 26 marked USAF planes have arrived at RAF Akrotiri since the bombing of Gaza began. These have included 16 huge C-17 military transport aircraft from U.S. bases in Germany, Spain and Kuwait.

The C-17 is capable of transporting 134 personnel and many types of military equipment, including Abrams tanks and three Black Hawk helicopters. The U.S.  military notes that its role is to “rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force close to a potential battle area.”

Respected Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported in October 2023 that over 40 U.S. transport aircraft had already flown to RAF Akrotiri carrying equipment, arms and forces. It is unclear where they got this figure from. 

Haaretz reported that the planes were loaded with cargo from strategic depots belonging to the U.S. and NATO in Europe. Around half the U.S.  flights were said to be “delivering military aid.”

Declassified has found that during the six days from Feb. 4 to 9 there was a flurry of USAF activity at RAF Akrotiri when six C-17s arrived from Ramstein air base in Germany. All soon returned to their bases.

On June 24, a U.S.-operated C-17 was sent from RAF Akrotiri to Tel Aviv, before flying on to Ramstein. It is possible this plane was transferring weapons to Israel. 

USAF planes arriving at Akrotiri since Oct. 7 have also included five C-130 planes coming from the U.S. base Incirlik at Adana in Turkey. The U.K. government has refused to disclose what they had onboard.

The U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.

Matt Kennard is head of investigations at Declassified UK. He was a fellow and then director at the Centre for Investigative Journalism in London. Follow him on Twitter @kennardmatt.

This article is from Declassified UK.

Views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.