The U.S. Air Force is deploying a half-dozen F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to Poland in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Six F-22s assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska already arrived at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, on July 26, en route to Poland as part of the latest effort to protect NATO allies against Russian land grabs following the invasion of Ukraine.
From Britain, Raptor fifth-generation fighters will be heading to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, Poland.
The Raptor is a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force and is designed to project air dominance rapidly at great distances to defeat emerging threats.
“The F-22s will support the NATO Air Shielding mission in the European theater,” the Air Force said in a release.
Adding the Air Force’s F-22s, the service’s most advanced fighter aircraft which can reach supersonic speeds and carry a variety of guided missiles and bombs, sends a serious sign to Russia that NATO is keeping a close eye on its borders.
“It cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft, making it a highly strategic platform to support NATO Air Shielding,” the press release from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa said.