US Sends F-22s to Middle East Amid Russian Incursions

The United States said Wednesday that it deployed F-22 Raptor fighter jets to the Middle East in the wake of “increasingly unsafe” activity from Russian aircraft in the area.

In a press release, U.S. Central Command called the Russian posture “unprofessional” and revealed its move to deploy the aircraft could “deliver overwhelming power at a moment’s notice,” if necessary.

“Russian Forces’ unsafe and unprofessional behavior is not what we expect from a professional air force,” stated Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM. “Their regular violation of agreed upon airspace deconfliction measures increases the risk of escalation or miscalculation.”

The aircraft are from Langley Air Force Base’s 94th Fighter Squadron, and they are tasked with integrating with coalition forces on the ground and in the air.

News of the incident comes after a Russian SU-27 fighter jet collided with a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone in international airspace over the Black Sea on March 14, per NBC News.

Kurilla warned the Senate Armed Services Committee in a subsequent hearing that CENTCOM had seen a “significant spike” in aggressive Russian military flights in Syria over recent months.

“It’s not new, but we have seen a significant spike since about 1 March in Syria,” the commander said at the time. “What we are seeing, though, is an increase recently in the unprofessional and unsafe behavior of the Russian air force in the region.”

A month later, CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino reportedly claimed that Russian pilots attempted to “dogfight” U.S. jets over Syria, potentially to provoke Washington into an international crisis.

“It looks to be consistent with a new way of operating,” Buccino emphasized.