America has been expanding its Middle Eastern air presence over time, and it is not merely for display. American pilots stationed in Syria have encountered increasingly hostile and sometimes provocative Russian aircraft in recent years.
To counter this, Washington used the F-22 Raptor, the Air Force’s best-of-breed fighter jet, a demonstration of power that America is not in any sense of the word doing beyond the region.
Even though the F-22 isn’t an insurgent aircraft anymore, it’s still rather dissimilar from nearly every other fighter being made. Since its introduction in 2005, it has blended stealth, rapid agility, and sophisticated sensor systems like few other aircraft have.
“The integration of stealth, air capability, and mission systems in the F-22 makes the world’s best fifth-generation fighter,” Lt. Col. Teresa Sullivan said. And on their previous missions against ISIS, Raptors were detecting threats well ahead of other aircraft, even catching a whiff of smoke.
There are higher stakes today than ever. American commanders have documented more assertive Russian pilot behavior since the early days of 2023—disregarding safety procedures, flying as close as a few hundred yards to American aircraft, and conducting weapons-carrying over coalition positions.
The last two months have witnessed these numbering more than 60 airspace incursions and more than two dozen weapon-carrying overflights. Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich painted the trend as “escalatory and wholly unprofessional.”
These developments are but one portion of a larger trend. Russia, Iran, and Syria all seem to be moving in the direction of approaching the common goal of driving U.S. forces out of Syria.
Russia’s use of Iranian drones against Ukraine has tied it closer to Tehran, and Tehran is said to be willing to trade advanced Russian weapons for them. That alliance has come to Syria as well, and it has made American presence there an even more perilous undertaking.
Iran’s mischief doesn’t end here. In the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most vital shipping bottleneck, Iranian naval vessels have harassed or attacked at least 15 merchant vessels over the last two years. In response, the U.S. has deployed more F-16s, F-35s, and Navy vessels into the region, categorically making it plain that it will not let these commercial waterways be shut down.
The deployment of the F-22 has several aims. It is a signal to irresponsible Russian action, a threat to American allies that the best of the best are ready to stand on a moment’s notice, and a signal to Moscow and Tehran that danger to the coalition troops will not be endured. U.S. Central Command had this to say: “Their perpetual disrespect of mutually agreed airspace deconfliction procedures elevates the risk of miscalculation or escalation.” With our allies and partners, we seek to secure and stabilize the area.
This isn’t a response to some particular event. It’s a response to a shifting strategic landscape and a need to make sure that the United States has an operational advantage. Where a single mistake will have a snowball effect, sending the F-22 there sends the very clear message that America will be willing, capable, and ready to push forward if that is what it must.