Important Details: The U.S. Air Force has deployed F-22 Raptors to key regions like the Middle East and Indo-Pacific to deter potential threats from Iran and strengthen defense ties with allies like Indonesia.

Why?: The Raptors have been strategically positioned to enhance U.S. military readiness and signal deterrence, particularly amidst rising tensions in these areas.

Bottomline: The deployment included hot-pit refueling operations, a tactic used to maintain high operational readiness by refueling aircraft without shutting down their engines.

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors Are on the Move

The United States Air Force has deployed its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors to potential global hotspots as a deterrent, including the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. On August 8, the Raptors arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, "as part of U.S. force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies," CENTCOM announced via a post on social media.

Approximately a dozen Raptors were deployed to the region from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, flying across North America and then the Atlantic Ocean. According to a report from Air & Spaces Force magazine, the F-22s stopped at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, UK, before continuing across Europe and the Mediterranean Sea before reaching the region. Aerial tankers refueled the aircraft during the lengthy flight from Alaska to the Middle East.

Air Forces Central (AFCENT) has not confirmed where the F-22s or other U.S. aircraft are now based in the region out of operational security. Nor has CENTCOM indicated how long the fifth-generation air superiority fighters will be deployed to the Middle East, but the aircraft will likely remain as long as tensions remain high as Israel braces for a potential attack from Iran and its regional partners including Hamas and Hezbollah.

The significance of the F-22s can't be overstated, U.S. officials have suggested.

"They can be a very invaluable defensive platform," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh earlier this month. "They add a maneuverability [and] additional systems that allow the commander to have more versatile options. And I think it sends a very clear signal to the region that we want to see tensions de-escalate. And it sends a really powerful message of deterrence."

F-22s to the Indo-Pacific

Several other F-22s also made a cross-country flight, this time traveling from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, and then across the Pacific Ocean where they took part in Dynamic Force Employment operations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Force Base, Indonesia, on August 6, 2024. The F-22s from the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron were the first to operate from a military base in the Maritime Southeast Asian nation.

"Through bilateral training, the U.S. and Indonesian Air Forces work together to promote interoperability, thus furthering our investments and strengthening our relationships," the Pacific Air Forces announced.

"Four F-22 Raptor fighter jets belonging to the United States Air Force (USAF) landed in Indonesia for the first time and carried out hot pit refueling at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Force Base, Badung, Tuesday (6/8/24). The arrival of the fighter jets is part of the Iron Blade Fighter Interaction," the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara TNI-AU) also announced via social media. "This activity aims to improve the interoperability of the Indonesian Air Force and the USAF, strengthen defense relations between Indonesia and the United States, and prove the commitment of both countries to maintaining stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region."The U.S. aviators didn't get to spend much time on the ground taking in the sights, however.

Four F-22 Raptors took part in a hotpit exercise, which came just after a similar drill was conducted with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and followed the recently concluded Exercise Pitch Black 2024 in Australia. As with the hotpit refueling in Australia, a C-130 arrived in advance to set the equipment.

As TheAviationist.com reported, "Hot-pit refueling operations are becoming quite routine for U.S. Air Force assets, often performed as part of Agile Combat Employment operations. The hot-pit refueling allows aircraft to rapidly refuel without powering down their engines, which increases operational readiness and reduces the amount of time needed to get the aircraft back into action."

Hotpit refueling further reduces the vulnerability of the aircraft on the ground, while also highlighting the ability of even the most advanced aircraft to operate from austere airstrips.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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