US Air Force deploys elite F-22 Raptors from UK to Jordan

The US Air Force has started relocating a squadron of advanced fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighter jets from Lakenheath Air Base in the United Kingdom to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. 

A total of 12 F-22 jets arrived at Lakenheath from the US mainland, with the first eight aircraft sent onward to Jordan on June 20, Caliber.Az reports via foreign website. 

To facilitate the long-range deployment, American aerial refueling tankers KC-135 and KC-46 are providing in-flight refueling support for the operation. The F-22 is one of two fifth-generation fighter jets operated exclusively by the US. As opposed to the F-35, the F-22 has never been exported to other countries.

Developed since the 1980s to counter new generations of Soviet fighter jets such as the Su-27, the F-22 remains limited in its capability to strike ground targets and carries far fewer bombs compared to the F-35 or other American fighters.

Despite its specialised design, the F-22 has not engaged in air-to-air combat since its introduction in 2005, making any potential combat deployment a significant milestone in the programme history. 

However, the necessity of using the F-22 in case of a US conflict remains uncertain. The primary threats come from Iran’s ground-based air defences, drone fleets, and ballistic missile arsenal—areas where the F-22 is not considered the most effective countermeasure.

By Naila Huseynova