Local media are reporting that the US Southern Command (Southcom) has established a provisional airbase at the capital city airport. The US military posed for the group photo on the airfield described as “an airfield in the US Southern Command Area of Responsibility” on 9 December 2025. The 921st Contingency Response Squadron is also known as The Dragons. The DVIDS website explains that the squad is in the Dominican Republic as part of an open-the-airbase mission set within the 621st Contingency Response Wing that enables rapid global mobility.
DVIDS explains that the squadron is responsible for opening, operating and closing airbases in austere environments while being self-sustaining.
DVIDS reports that the US military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the US Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the US President’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.
Diario Libre reports on a US Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker departed Las Américas International Airport (AILA), heading south toward the Venezuelan region, citing open-source intelligence (OSINT) and flight-tracking data.
The aircraft, a specialized aerial refueling tanker, took off from the capital city airport without a publicly declared destination. Diario Libre explains that while its specific mission remains classified, the presence of a KC-135R typically signals extended operations in the area. These “flying gas stations” are essential for maintaining the endurance of fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, or long-range patrol units.
Military analysts note that such movements often coincide with regional surveillance missions or routine training exercises conducted in international airspace. Yet neither the US Department of Defense nor Dominican aviation authorities have issued an official statement regarding the flight’s specific objectives.
BBC has been covering the deployment of US military operations in the Caribbean.
Read more:
DVIDShub
BBC
BBC
BBC
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
N Digital
18 December 2025