America's deadliest fighter jet: F-22 fleet lands in Israel, sending clear message to Iran - Shir Perets

 

by Shir Perets

The F-22 fleet is the latest addition to the arsenal that the US has amassed in the region over the last few weeks.

 

An F-22 Raptor

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Twelve American F-22 Raptor fighter jets landed at an Israel Air Force base on Tuesday evening as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise and uncertainty looms on the Iranian front.

The F-22 stealth jet, which is operated only by the United States, is considered the world’s most advanced air superiority fighter. Although no longer in production, the aircraft is so highly classified that the US Department of Defense has not made it available for sale to any foreign government.

The twin-engined aircraft made jointly by Lockheed Martin and Boeing is also capable of incorporating ground attack and electronic warfare. It is the latest addition to US forces assembling in the region in case of an attack on Iran.

Among the forces sent by the US to the region are the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, which is in the eastern Mediterranean. Open-source intelligence monitoring and publicly available flight data indicate that over 300 US military aircraft are deployed across the Middle East.

US Air Force pilots and aircraft mechanics of the 325th Fighter Wing secure F-22 Raptor aircraft relocating due to Hurricane Laura, shortly after their arrival at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, US August 23, 2020. (credit: US AIR FORCE/RJ ORIEZ/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

As negotiations approach, US, Israel prepare for any outcome

The strategic stationing of US forces, aircraft, and warships ahead of the next round of nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, set for Thursday in Geneva, shows that Washington and Jerusalem are preparing for any possible outcome.

“We are in negotiations with [Iran],” US President Donald Trump said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, “they want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon.’

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon, can’t let that happen.

During his address, Trump mentioned Operation Midnight Hammer, when the US used its B-2 bombers, alongside F-22s and F-35s, to target Iran’s nuclear sites.

While the B-2s were the stars of the June operation, the F-22 was essential to the success of the mission, as Trump later confirmed its participation even though no sorties had been detected. 

Shir Perets

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-887908

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