DefenceGeek 🇬🇧

Jon.
Flight tracking, military news, Counter-Terror & geo-politics
Founder @MATA_osint & @TheOsintBunker Podcast.
All views my own.
Senior Editor @UKDefJournal.

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

UPDATE: They're Coming Back Now... #IranWar

As of this morning, we're now at 17 tankers returned to Europe, and 3 more moved from US west coast to east coast in preparation to cross.

That's just in the last 48-72hrs.

Most of the airframes are ones that left in September...
@MATA_osint

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

They're Coming Back Now... #IranWar‌

As those of you who have been following me for a while know, one of the areas of build-up/monitoring I focus on is the USAF KC-135/KC-46 tanker fleets. Recently I noted a significant reduction in the numbers across Europe, while the number in CENTCOM remained relatively steady at ~100.

Well, following news that the Trump administration is considering new strikes at/around the midterm elections, I've noticed an increase in the number of tankers returning to Europe. In the last 36hrs alone, I've noted 11 returns specifically to European bases.

It is likely an indicator that preparations for further combat operations are indeed underway - ultimately the fast-jets and ISTAR platforms are still in place so things could start moving quite quickly!!

@MATA_osint

[USAF VIP LOGISTICS @USAF_VIP_LGX]

📝 POTUS TO SPEND TIME IN FLORIDA
🌴 PALM BEACH | MAR-A-LAGO
📆 OCT 23-24, 2026

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

The images circulated by numerous accounts earlier today of a suspect in the Trappes shooting are reportedly NOT of the actual suspect...!!!

[Paul Conge @paulcng]

❌ Attaque terroriste de #Trappes : de source judiciaire à BFMTV, l’individu en garde à vue n’est pas Kévin Tertrais. Les photos non-vérifiées qui circulent partout depuis ce midi sont celles d'un individu qui n'a absolument rien à voir avec cette affaire.

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

Ancient *world lol
You don't hate autocorrect enough

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

The ancient would would have considered this an omen of things to come...

[Andrew Leyden @PenguinSix]

Hawks are battling at the White House today. Not over Iran or Ukraine, I mean the actual hawks that live on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there. The speed has not been restored. And the delivery of interceptors to protect us against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed. We’re waiting for interceptors that were already agreed on. But they are still not coming. This is a real problem, because the Russians attack us almost every single day.

All of this is happening while we continue our quite successful operations on the front. We keep defending positions. Things have become harder – partly because of the Starlink and Starshield policies and speed limits. But our frontline is still holding and I am proud of how strong our people are.

From an address at the Hudson Institute. (2/3)

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

With a US STRATCOM exercise underway, currently 4x E-6B "Mercury" airborne over different parts of the US
H/t @sipjack1776

[1776Girl @sipjack1776]

@DefenceGeek @Borrowed7Time @iemats @N214WN 😎 4 E-6's are up at the moment.

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

@sipjack1776 @Borrowed7Time @iemats @N214WN 3rd one today? That STRATCOM exercise is in full swing!

[Intelschizo @Schizointel]

If we extend the timeline going back to July of this year, it increases a bit more to 11 ships attacked of which 6 have sunk and with the following casualties
Dead: 4
Injured: 11-15+
Missing at Sea presumed dead: 33

[GeoInsider @InsiderGeo]

Our guys at SONARROW have managed to uncover how a Greek company is recruiting Russian crews for Russia’s shadow fleet, including vessels under EU sanctions. 👇

[SONARROW @SONARROW_OSINT]

OSINT FILE 🔎

Ukrainians 🇺🇦 in Athens, Russians 🇷🇺 in Yalta.

How a maritime recruitment agency supplies sailors to Russia's shadow fleet from inside the European Union 🇪🇺.

Olga and Andrii, this is their story 🧵

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

US allegedly warns Iraqi government of upcoming strikes on Iran
#IranWar

https://t.co/yG192eLeWv

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

@trigger607_XoX @MATA_osint @flightradar24 @zephyrOsint https://t.co/yG192eLeWv

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

UPDATE: Sentry to CENTCOM #IranWar‌

E-3G "SHUCK80" 82-0007 #AE11F0 (ZZ) is continuing into CENTCOM this morning from Ramstein (ETAR) in Germany. It will likely take the place of one of the other 6 airframes already deployed to Prince Sultan Airbase (OEPS), so we'll probably see another "SHUCK" call-sign flying back the other way either today or in the near future.

Visible in this screenshot from @flightradar24 a little ahead and above of it is KC-135R "REACH191" 58-0079 #AE0383 returning to Eliat (LLER) after a period of maintenance at RAF Mildenhall (EGUN).

@MATA_osint

[The Telegraph @Telegraph]

The leader of an activist group behind pro-Palestine protests in the UK met with two individuals later sanctioned over their links to Iran, The Telegraph can reveal.

In 2014, Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of anti-war organisation Code Pink, was in contact with men later identified by US officials as facilitators for the Islamic Republic’s foreign intelligence⤵️

https://t.co/N4MyZRCzn3

[Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 @bayraktar_1love]

🔥The moment several missiles strike the Proton electronics plant in Oryol, Russia, followed by scenes of a production workshop engulfed in flames.

The facility manufactures electronic and optoelectronic components for Russia’s defense industry, including components used in air defense systems and other military equipment.

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

UPDATE: Sentry to CENTCOM #IranWar‌

E-3G "SHUCK80" 82-0007 #AE11F0 (ZZ) is continuing into CENTCOM this morning from Ramstein (ETAR) in Germany. It will likely take the place of one of the other 6 airframes already deployed to Prince Sultan Airbase (OEPS), so we'll probably see another "SHUCK" call-sign flying back the other way either today or in the near future.

Visible in this screenshot from @flightradar24 a little ahead and above of it is KC-135R "REACH191" 58-0079 #AE0383 returning to Eliat (LLER) after a period of maintenance at RAF Mildenhall (EGUN).

@MATA_osint

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

UPDATE: Suspected Russian Attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea

Per @InsiderGeo, another ship has been attacked and sunk this morning, with 3 crew missing, 1 dead and 9 injured when the vessel capsized following the attack, around 13NM from Constanta. It was travelling from Turkey to Romania at the time flagged to Comoros.

This brings the total to 8 ships this month.

@InsiderGeo

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

More video of their departure from Lajes:
https://t.co/r2b2SVYhGB

[DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 @DefenceGeek]

UPDATE: Coronet Delivery 002 (and a +1)

A short while ago, the 4 F-35s for Europe at Lajes (LPLA) departed to begin the final leg of their delivery journey:

F-35A "RETRO61" L-026 🇩🇰
F-35A "RETRO62" FL-014 🇧🇪
F-35A "RETRO63" JF-509 🇫🇮
F-35A "RETRO64" JF-511 🇫🇮

supported by 2x KC-46A tankers from Lajes. They should arrive at their new homes in the coming hours.

@MATA_osint @ArmchairAdml @LatAmMilMVMTs @AUX_OSINT @TheAzorean_ @x_diogo_01

[UK Defence Journal @UKDefJournal]

Investment in defence will only command lasting public support if people can see that it improves their lives as well as strengthening national defence, according to the Defence Secretary. Click image for more.
https://t.co/9r5qJa1bLU