News

US F-22s safeguard Alliance territory

by U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa Public Affairs
August 19, 2022
Three U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor aircraft assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, fly alongside a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, over Poland, Aug. 10. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. It cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft, making it a highly strategic platform to support NATO Air Shielding. Photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Long

F-22 Raptors assigned to the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Łask Air Base, Poland are postured and ready to safeguard Alliance territory through Air Shielding and defend NATO’s eastern flank at a moment’s notice.

The Raptor has made vital contributions to the U.S.’s peacekeeping efforts around the world by deterring potential adversaries and enhancing lethality against all advanced air threats. It provides NATO a more permanent deterrence option through Air Shielding and ensures the stability and security of NATO’s airspace.

“The Air Force has relied on F-22 deployments to improve combined tactical air operations, enhance interoperability of forces and deter potential threats for the past 15 years,” said Lt. Col. Michael Kendall, 90th EFS commander. “Raptor capabilities allow us to provide air superiority and dominance, rapidly and at great distances. We came here to enhance NATO’s posture and increase warfighting capabilities along the Eastern Flank in support of our Allies and partners.”

Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor aircraft assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, fly alongside a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft assigned to the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, over Poland, Aug. 10. The 100th ARW provides the critical air refueling bridge that enables strategic assets to operate in forward locations, and postures NATO forces to extend global reach and amplify operational capability throughout Europe.

The NATO Air Shielding mission is an enhanced posture that integrates Allied Air and Surface Based Air and Missile Defense and offers rapidly deployable options from the Baltic to the Black seas. However, this mission retains the flexibility to address any emerging threat in the region.

The F-22 will also support Agile Combat Employment operations and exercises throughout the region to validate new ways to deploy and maneuver assets during a crisis or conflict to operate in contested environments. The F-22 has the ability to fluidly move across the theater to seize, retain, and exploit an adversary, ultimately presenting layers of operational unpredictability to an adversary’s strategic decision making.

“The F-22 ensures a lethality that no other aircraft can provide,” said Kendall. “We are unwavering in our commitment to extended deterrence and ready to go whenever they need us.”

U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor has arrived to the 32nd Tactical Air Base, Łask, Poland, to support NATO Air Shielding. The aircraft are from the 90th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and will be supporting Air Shielding as the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.
Photo by SSgt. Danielle Sukhlall

As the 90th EFS has officially taken over the mission at Łask Air Base, the F-15E Strike Eagles from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, U.K., have returned home.

The U.S.’s commitment to defending NATO territory is ironclad and the 90th EFS will continue to bolster NATO’s posture to defend our Allies and partners.

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