Six MC-130 aircraft and four CV-22 Ospreys took off from Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida heading south yesterday afternoon, Dec. 25, 2025, with one aircraft mentioning Guantánamo in pre-takeoff communications, according to X user @HHunternight citing @AirAssets, @ArmchairAdml, @Flightwatcher1, @MichaelBonet8, @LatAmMilMVMTs, and @thenewarea51. @HHunternight detailed the departures in a post at https://x.com/HHunternight/status/2004409727904895274 during the reporting window from 4:15 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. UTC on Dec. 26, 2025. X user @Delta1337169 separately noted "Duckies are in the air" in a post at https://x.com/Delta1337169/status/2002853377299157453. These departures follow U.S. Air Force activations of nine tankers, including KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotankers from Cecil Airport, MacDill Air Force Base, and McConnell Air Force Base for Operation Southern Spear refueling missions earlier on Dec. 26, as reported by @ArmchairAdml in prior windows ending 3:15 a.m., 3:45 a.m., and 4:15 a.m. UTC. Reports also included stealthy departures of Langley Air Force Base jets and additional MacDill KC-135 tankers heading south during those periods, per @AirAssets and @ArmchairAdml.
