Summary and Key Points: The U.S. and its allies are preparing for potential escalation in the Red Sea following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. To bolster defenses, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of additional military assets, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier, F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18 Growlers, and F-22 Raptors.
-The Raptors, known for their stealth, maneuverability, and firepower, will reinforce existing forces in the region.
-As tensions rise, the F-22s could see combat in what might be one of their last operational deployments before being replaced by the Next Generation Air Dominance fighters.
Israel, the U.S. and its allies are currently gearing up for a broader war in the Red Sea. Iran is expected to launch a multi-axis retaliation for the assassination of the former political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.
In order to guard against any potential rocket or missile barrage, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that defenses in the region would be strengthened. The Navy’s Nimitz-class USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier is already en route to the Red Sea with its fleet of F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18 Growlers. These aircraft will reportedly be joined by Air Force F-22 Raptors. Often considered the best fifth-generation fighter platform on the planet, the F-22s will reinforce defensive air support in the region and join existing forces to deter Iran-affiliated groups from further escalation.
“If Israel is attacked, we certainly will help,” Austin told reporters following the killing of Haniyeh. “You saw us do that in April. You can expect to see us do that again. But we don’t want to see any of that happen. We’re going to work hard to make sure that we’re doing things to help take the temperature down and address issues through diplomatic means.”
The Secretary is certainly backing words with action by deploying Raptors to the Middle East. A squadron of F-22s will join three combat aircraft squadrons already positioned in the region, including squadrons of A-10 Thunderbolt Close Air Support aircraft, F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, and F-16 Fighting Falcons.
While the F-35 Lightning II platform is newer, the Raptor remains unmatched in several key areas. Perhaps most significant is the jet’s smaller radar cross section, which makes the platform extremely difficult for enemy aircraft to detect. The F-22 is also far more maneuverable than its fifth-gen successor, with greater firepower and a superior thrust-to-weight ratio. Raptors are powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines, compared to the Lightning II’s single power source.
Each Raptor features three internal weapons bays. In a stealth configuration, the F-22 can carry two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and six AIM-12 AMRAAM radar-guided air-to-air missiles. At the same time, the jet is capable of packing two AIM-120 AMRAAM and two GBU-32 JDAM bombs in its center weapons bay. Equipped as such, the Raptors are well suited for the current Middle East crisis.
The Air Force is expected to eventually replace its remaining Raptors with the service’s upcoming Next Generation Air Dominance fighters, so this could be one of the Raptors’ last chances to see combat. Last year, the platform achieved an air-to-air kill when a jet from the 1st Fighter Wing downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.
Depending on how Tehran and its regional proxy groups retaliate for the Haniyeh killing, the F-22 could add to its stats.
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image Credit: Creative Commons.
