At least three U.S. military aircraft — including a heavily armed AC-130J Ghostrider gunship — have begun flying missions from El Salvador's main international airport, reflecting an expansion of the United States' military footprint in the Caribbean, according to satellite imagery, air-traffic communications, and flight-tracking data reviewed by The New York Times.
The deployment appears to mark the first known instance of a foreign country hosting U.S. aircraft potentially capable of participating in regional strike operations. Two U.S. military officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed to NYT that the presence of the aircraft is linked to expanded counter-narcotics missions.
