Alaskan Raptors bound for the Middle East
On 6 August 2024, as expected, a dozen Alaskan 3rd Wing based Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors landed at RAF Lakenheath in the UK.
As tensions rose in the Middle East some weeks ago, the 3rd Wing, normally based at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson (AK), has been carefully chosen to be deployed to the region. On 8 November 2022, Scramble Magazine first wrote about the 3rd Wing's ability to be the first in the theatre of tensions.
Most probably the above mentioned F-22As will be arriving in the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of operations and will be deployed to Muwaffaq Salti/Al Azraq (Jordan) and/or Al Udaid Air Base (Qatar). At this moment it is not known if more USAF fighters will cross the pond to be deployed to the Middle East.
The following mix of the 3rd Wing's squadrons Raptors, with no less than four "flagships", are now transiting RAF Lakenheath to the Middle East; 05-4087, 05-4088, 05-4090 (as "90FS"), 07-4143, 07-4145, 07-4147 (as "477FG"), 07-4149, 07-4150, 07-4151, 09-4190, 10-4193 (as "3WG") and 10-4195 (as "525FS").
Of special note is that this marks the first operational fighter deployment which is accompanied by seven Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker/transport aircraft. This amount of Pegasus aircraft is a first for the USAF. The following KC-46As were noted arriving at RAF Mildenhall (UK); 21-46057, 19-46061 both 305th AMW. 17-46025, 17-46032, 17-46036 and 20-46076 all four 22nd ARW and 21-46058 916th ARW.
Credit photo: Michael Alexander (On Flickr)