The Economist: US displays rare F-22 jets during Putin-Trump meeting

During the meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base, the US Air Force deployed its F-22 multi-role fighter jets, aircraft typically kept out of public view, The Economist reported on August 15.

Four F-22 fighters — among the most combat-ready US military aircraft and usually “hidden from prying eyes” — were stationed at the airbase for the summit.

The magazine noted that when a correspondent photographed F-22 jets during exercises on Tinian Island in the Pacific, the images had to be submitted to the US Air Force for approval before publication.

At the summit, the F-22s formed an “honour guard” along the red carpet, while a B-2 bomber accompanied by four F-35 fighters flew overhead.

The F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation multi-role fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Dynamics in the 1990s, is powered by two turbofan engines and can reach supersonic speeds without afterburners.

The aircraft features AN/APG-7 radar, an integrated communications system, a 20 mm cannon, and capacity for eight air-to-air missiles. In August 2024, the US deployed a squadron of F-22s to the Middle East amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

The B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bomber, developed by Northrop Grumman and first flown in 1989, can reach altitudes of approximately 15,000 meters with a payload of up to 18,000 kg. It can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons and has participated in various operations, including strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova