The decision to keep the Patriot missiles in mobile trucks rather than semi-static launcher stations — meaning they could rapidly deploy to strike or be moved defensively in case of an Iranian attack — shows how risks heightened as frictions grew.
A comparison of satellite photographs in early February with those taken in January shows a recent build-up of aircraft and other military equipment across the region, says William Goodhind, a forensic imagery analyst with Contested Ground.At al-Udeid, the Patriot missiles were visible, parked and mounted into M983 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) at the start of February, Goodhind says.
“The decision to do so gives the Patriots much greater mobility, meaning they can be moved to an alternative site or repositioned with greater speed,” he says.
It is not clear today whether the missiles were still in the HEMTTs.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon is not immediately available for comment.
