SEAD and CSAR Specialist Units Head to SOUTHCOM as Military Buildup Continues

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AIR TRAVEL PLANNER

U.S. based F-35A Lightning IIs and EA-18G Growlers are the latest combat jets to head to U.S. Southern Command, while HH-60W Pave Hawks have relocated from Japan to Puerto Rico.

Adding to the already potent and unprecedented force assembled with the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), comprising the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group (CSG), the USS Iwo Jima amphibious ready group (ARG), and a wide range of combat and support aircraft forward deployed to Puerto Rico and other locations in the region, we now have confirmation of the first deployment of U.S. Air Force tactical fighters as well as a notable array of other assets.

An unnamed U.S. official told The War Zone on Dec. 11, 2025 that the 158th Fighter Wing (FW) from the Vermont Air National Guard (ANG) are preparing to deploy to SOUTHCOM to join the ongoing operation there, officially titled Operation Southern Spear.

A F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 134th Fighter Squadron of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing takes off for a training mission during January drill from the Vermont Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vermont, Jan. 6, 2022. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jana Somero)

Ostensibly, Southern Spear is an effort to counter alleged narcotics smuggling in the Caribbean region, however it has consistently been rumored that the mission will soon expand to include direct action against targets within Venezuela – accused by the U.S. Government of being aligned with the alleged drug smugglers. At present the only strikes have targeted boats at sea, which the U.S. maintains were being used to smuggle narcotics, though U.S. forces have now also intercepted and seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.

Flights by B-52 Stratofortress and B-1B Lancer strategic bombers have skirted the edges of Venezuelan airspace during what were officially labeled ‘bomber attack demonstration’ missions, and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets operating from the CSG have even operated inside the Gulf of Venezuela near Maracaibo, the country’s second largest city. These flights have remained in international airspace throughout, but it is clear who the missions are intended to send a message to.

Suppression of Enemy Air Defences

The 158th FW’s F-35As, an unknown number of which will join Southern Spear, are operated by the 134th Fighter Squadron and were the first examples of the fifth-generation stealth fighter to be assigned to an ANG unit.  Notably, while the squadron was primarily tasked with the air defence role when it operated the F-16 Fighting Falcon, since transferring to the F-35 it has pivoted towards the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) mission set. In 2022, the unit deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and sported patches featuring a weasel holding a lightning bolt. This is a common motif for squadrons who cover the ‘Wild Weasel’ mission, a long-running nickname for SEAD.

Meanwhile, already in theatre at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico – having arrived on Dec. 10 – are six EA-18G Growlers,  joining the F-35B Lightning IIs and assorted support aircraft there. These Growlers, which are SEAD and electronic warfare (EW) specialised variants of the F/A-18F Super Hornet, are in addition to the squadron already present on the CSG. Images of the jets at the Puerto Rico base reveal that they deployed with both the distinctive, but ageing, AN/ALQ-99 EW pods as well as the brand new AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer-Mid Band (NGJ-MB). The AN/ALQ-249 debuted operationally last year, and initial operating capability was declared in January 2025.

It’s clear from the amount of SEAD-specific forces deployed that, should the U.S. begin strikes within Venezuela, the threat of air defence systems is a fairly major concern. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro boasted in October that his country has amassed 5,000 Russian-made air defence missiles, ranging from man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) through to S-300VM surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries. Comments from Russian politicians have additionally suggested the recent delivery of Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E anti-aircraft systems on board a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft.

During Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 raid on Iranian nuclear facilities, USAF B-2 Spirit bombers were escorted by a significant SEAD package which included F-35s and F-22 Raptors as well as fourth-generation fighters. In total, the strike involved over 125 aircraft, many of which would have been primarily tasked with either SEAD or defensive/offensive counter-air (DCA/OCA).

Having a strong SEAD capability in place is one of the most important steps in preparing for any campaign against an adversary with a substantial air defence capability. It is even possible that the fly-bys of Venezuelan airspace by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, as well as by strategic bombers, have in fact been attempts to draw air defence radar systems across Venezuela out of hiding. By activating the radar systems to detect, or even lock on and ‘paint’ the U.S. jets, radar operators would have given American forces vital data regarding their location, type, and operating frequencies. These would be able to be hit in day one strikes by Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) or GPS-guided standoff weapons, while any further radar activity during a conflict would invite the launch of anti-radiation missiles.

Combat Search and Rescue

Though it is an eventuality that any military hopes to not see happen, one of the many preparations necessary before any large air campaign can begin in earnest is the establishment of a capability to retrieve aircrews who have been shot down, or crashed for any other reason, over hostile territory.

The combat search and rescue (CSAR) – or Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) as it is known in lower-threat environments – mission can involve many layers of assets, and it is trained for by a variety of units in case they may be the closest unit when the call comes. In Libya, for example, when an F-15E Strike Eagle from RAF Lakenheath’s 492nd Fighter Squadron crashed during Operation Odyssey Dawn in 2011, the pilot and weapon systems officer (WSO), having both ejected safely, were rescued by a USS Kearsage-based MV-22 Osprey.

CARIBBEAN SEA (Sept. 17, 2025) A MV-22B Osprey, a CH-53 Super Stallion, an UH-1Y Huey, and an AH-1Z Cobra, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), start their rotors during flight operations aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph T. Miller)

The Iwo Jima ARG hosts both MV-22 Ospreys as well as CH-53E Super Stallions in its air wing, both of which have previously taken part in CSAR/TRAP sorties, but a dedicated CSAR unit has now appeared on the deck in Puerto Rico.

HH-60W Pave Hawks were noted in press photographs being unloaded at Roosevelt Roads from a U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III airlifter. Using aircraft tracking software it is possible to discern that the aircraft’s flight, using the callsign REACH 575, originated at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Stopping at Yokota Air Base, near Tokyo, Elmendorf AFB near Anchorage, Alaska, and MacDill AFB in Florida on the way, the jet arrived in Puerto Rico on Dec. 11.

The origin is notable as the home of the 33rd Rescue Squadron (RQS), one of only two HH-60 Pave Hawk CSAR helicopter units permanently stationed outside of the United States. It isn’t clear exactly why this unit was chosen to provide aircraft to this SOUTHCOM mission, but as forward deployed units – much closer to the usual frontline missions – the 33rd RQS along with the Aviano, Italy-based 56th RQS are held at constant high readiness and are undoubtedly comprised of some of the most experienced and well-trained crews that the USAF CSAR helicopter force can offer.

An HH-60W Jolly Green II receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II during helicopter air-to-air refueling off the coast of California during Exercise Steel Knight 25 on Dec. 7, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir)

Backing up the HH-60Ws, which boast an in-flight refueling capability for extended range missions, the U.S. has already deployed HC-130J Combat King IIs and MC-130J Commando IIs to Puerto Rico. Both of these aircraft are designed to provide aerial refueling to rotary wing aircraft, and are also equipped with a wide range of sensors and communications equipment to assist with secretive special operations.

The HC-130J specifically is designated as a personnel recovery aircraft, designed to support CSAR helicopters with refueling and mission coordination as well as directly deliver recovery personnel and supplies to assist them by parachute if necessary.

Both the MC-130J and HC-130J can, in turn, be refueled by boom-equipped tankers like the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-46 Pegasus. This allows ‘daisy chaining’ operations where boom tankers extend the range of MC-130J/HC-130J aircraft which then extend the range of suitably equipped helicopters or tiltrotor V-22 Ospreys. If helicopters without in-flight refueling probes need long-range support, the fixed wing aircraft can land in austere locations and establish forward area refueling points (FARPs) on the ground.

Combined with every other deployed unit, the number of which precludes us from listing them all here, SOUTHCOM is now at a surely unprecedented level of capability. Whether they will be put to use remains in the hands of politicians and commanders back in Washington D.C.