FALCON POWERS – The U.S. Air Force released photos on Friday of a squadron of F-22 aircraft stationed at an American air base in Qatar, marking the first documented presence of the stealth fighters in the Middle East region.
The Air Force did not disclose the specific unit that the aircraft belong to, but had previously stated that 12 of these planes were being deployed to Qatar. The F-22s arrived in Qatar after flying from Alaska, stopping to refuel at an American air base in the United Kingdom, and then continuing their journey to the Persian Gulf with additional aerial refueling over the Mediterranean.
These advanced aircraft are known for their exceptional stealth capabilities, exceptional maneuverability, and integrated computer systems that allow them to leverage vast amounts of environmental data to strike targets with precision. In 2013, a U.S. Air Force F-22 was able to fly extremely close to an Iranian fighter jet without being detected by the Iranian pilot.
The U.S. Air Force maintains a fleet of only 186 F-22 aircraft, as production of this costly fighter was halted. The deployment of the F-22s to Qatar represents a reinforcement of U.S. forces in the region, alongside the dispatch of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying squadron of F-35 stealth fighters to the Persian Gulf. Additionally, six destroyers, five large missile-defense capable cruisers, and a nuclear-powered submarine armed with dozens of cruise missiles have also been sent to the area.
