The U.S. has been building up its air presence in the Middle East quietly, and this is no publicity stunt. American pilots in Syria have had more aggressive and sometimes dangerous encounters with Russian aircraft in recent years. In response, the Air Force sent the F-22 Raptor to the region, suggesting that the U.S. is serious about its presence and will not retreat.
While not new, as it was inducted in 2005, the F-22 remains among the finest fighters. Its combination of stealth, agility, and advanced sensors gives it few peers.
The blending of stealth, performance, and mission capability in the F-22 makes it the world’s greatest fifth-generation fighter,” said Lt. Col. Teresa Sullivan. Raptors have been conducting missions in the region for years, detecting threats many times before other aircraft even sensing them, particularly against ISIS.
Now the situation is even more dire. Since February 2023, U.S. commanders have watched Russian pilots fly aggressively—skipping safety buffer zones, flying in perilously close to American aircraft, sometimes just a few hundred feet apart, and even flying weapons-carrying sorties over coalition troops.
Within a span of only two months, there were more than 60 airspace incursions and over two dozen armed overflights. Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich described the conduct as “escalatory and completely unprofessional.”
This is a wider trend. Russia, Syria, and Iran are all cooperating more, sharing the goal of expelling the U.S. from Syria. Russia’s recent deployment of Iranian drones into Ukraine has solidified its alliance, and Iran reportedly is requesting advanced Russian weaponry in return.
This cooperation has complicated things for the U.S. military to handle, as it is more unstable and dangerous.
Iran has been active in nearby waters, too. In the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping bottleneck, Iran has struck or harassed at least 15 commercial vessels over the last couple of years.
In response, the U.S. has accelerated the deployment of F-16s, F-35s, and Navy ships and made it very clear that key commerce routes will remain open.
Operating the F-22 achieves several ends at once. It sends an unmistakable message to Russian pilots tempted to try their luck, it guarantees America’s allies that world-class firepower is ready to roll at a moment’s notice, and it signals to Moscow and Tehran that any threat posed to coalition forces will be seriously considered.
Gen. Michael Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, emphasized, “Repeated airspace violations increase the danger of miscalculation or escalation. Together with our allies and partners, we are committed to maintaining security and stability in the region.”
This is not a step about reacting to a single incident. It’s about adjusting to a changing world and keeping America ahead. In a world where one mistake could be a domino effect, fielding the F-22 sends a signal that the U.S. is ready and capable if necessary.