The Pentagon announced that a squadron of advanced F-22 fighters arrived at an unknown location in the Middle East on Thursday as part of a plan, disclosed earlier this week, to increase the United States military presence in the region.
The entry of the stealthy warplanes comes as the U.S. responds to threats by the Islamic Republic to retaliate against Israel following last month’s assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization.
The unit will join the planned deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the area, augmenting the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group currently patrolling in the eastern Mediterranean.
Calling the introduction of the jets “part of U.S. force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies,” the U.S. military issued a subtle warning, as the regime in Tehran is likely aware that the F-22 has strong evasive capabilities against the country’s radar coverage.
The Alaska-based contingent arrived the day after a dozen U.S. Navy F-18’s and an E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft from the Gulf of Oman-positioned USS Theodore Roosevelt were reported to have been moved to terrestrial positions at the same U.S. Central Command facility as the F-22s.
When asked for comment on arrangements, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters on Wednesday that “We’ve adjusted our military posture to strengthen our force protection and to reinforce our ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel and to remain prepared to respond to any contingency.”
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