The US Sends A Squadron of F-22s to The Middle East to Prevent The Acts of Unsafe Russian Pilots
The United States (US) has sent F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to prevent unsafe Russian pilots from causing problems in the Middle East.
A squadron of F-22 jets moved earlier this week from a forward-deployed location in Europe to the US Central Command area of responsibility (CENTCOM) - a swathe of territory spanning more than 4 million miles across North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
CENTCOM said on Wednesday the deployment of the Raptor fleet was meant to demonstrate US support and capability after increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft in the region.
In recent months, US officials have noticed several instances where Russian aircraft appear to have maneuvered aggressively around American assets and interests in the Middle East.
This included aggressive flying near US aircraft by Russian pilots, a general explained.
"Since early March, Russian pilots have been flying unprofessionally in our airspace over Syria," Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of Central Air Forces (AFCENT), said in a written statement, quoted by Business Insider.
"They have been doing this episodically since 2019 and they are undermining our attempts to refuse to comply with the protocols we have set," he continued.
It was explained that the Russian pilots maneuvered aggressively as opposed to the rules set by the US to maintain a certain distance.
"They maneuvered aggressively with weapons on board and in the context of escalating global events and were completely unprofessional," Grynkewich said.
In line with Grynkewich, CENTCOM Commander General Michael Kurilla said in a statement that acts of unsafe behavior were not expected of a professional air force.
"The unsafe and unprofessional behavior of Russian troops, he continued, is not what is expected of a professional air force.
Their regular violation of deconfliction measures has increased the risk of escalation or miscalculation," he said.
The F-22 was first introduced in 2005. This stealth aircraft was developed to counter the emerging threats posed by the Soviets and Chinese.
The F-22 is the first fifth-generation fighter and has long been considered the US air superiority fighter. This aircraft can attack ground targets from a high altitude at cruising speed.
The latest deployment to CENTCOM's area of responsibility isn't the first for any fighter, including the F-22. The aircraft already has operational experience in the Middle East, specifically targeting ISIS assets in Syria.
The US has stopped buying the F-22 and is developing a sixth-generation fighter jet project known as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform.
