In a rare public disclosure intended to demonstrate overwhelming force, CENTCOM has listed the primary assets currently engaged in the offensive against Iran. This disclosure follows the confirmed deaths of three U.S. service members, the first American casualties of the campaign.
1. The Air Superiority Fleet
The U.S. is employing a “high-low” mix of stealth technology and brute-force attack aircraft:
- The Stealth Vanguard: B-2 Spirit bombers, F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs are being used to penetrate Iran’s sophisticated S-400 and domestic air defense networks.
- The “Workhorses”: F-18 Super Hornets (launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford), F-16s, and the legendary A-10 Warthogs are conducting close air support and tactical strikes on missile silos.
- Electronic Warfare: EA-18G Growlers are being used to “blind” Iranian radar systems ahead of incoming Tomahawk cruise missile waves.
2. Drones and “Suicide” Munitions
A major highlight of Operation Epic Fury is the shift toward autonomous and semi-autonomous systems:
- Lucas Drones & MQ-9 Reapers: Used for precision targeting and “hunter-killer” missions.
- Iranian-Style “One-Way” Drones: For the first time, the U.S. is using mass-produced, low-cost suicide drones to overwhelm Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf.
- Tomahawk Missiles: Launched from Guided-Missile Destroyers to strike fixed infrastructure in Tehran and Isfahan.
3. Naval and Missile Defense
The U.S. has established a formidable defensive “shield” to protect regional allies like Israel and the UAE:
- Nuclear-Powered Carriers: Leading the strike groups providing constant sorties over Iranian airspace.
- THAAD & Patriot Systems: These anti-ballistic missile systems have been pushed to their limits intercepting Iranian retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases.
- P-8 Maritime Patrol: Monitoring the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian submarine activity and “swarming” fast-boat attacks.
CENTCOM Official Asset List: Operation Epic Fury
| Category | Primary Assets Deployed |
| Strategic Bombers | B-2 Stealth Bombers |
| Stealth & Attack Jets | F-35, F-22, F-18, F-16, A-10, EA-18G |
| Unmanned Systems | Lucas Drones, MQ-9 Reapers, Suicide Drones |
| Missile Defense | THAAD, Patriot Systems, Counter-Drone Systems |
| Maritime Power | Nuclear Carriers, Guided-Missile Destroyers, P-8 Patrol |
| Support & Recon | RC-135, Airborne Early Warning, C-17 Globemasters, Refueling Tankers |
The Anthropic Connection
The military’s reliance on technology faced a sudden shift on February 27, when President Trump blacklisted Anthropic as a “supply chain risk.” While Anthropic’s Claude AI was previously a core part of the intelligence community’s data processing, the Pentagon has moved to “patriotic” alternatives to manage the vast amount of sensor data coming from the B-2s and Reapers during this war.