U.S. F-22 stealth jets deployed in the Gulf take fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker.
In order to keep their radar invisibility, U.S. F-22 Raptor multirole jets operating from Al Dhafra, UAE, fly their Combat Air Patrol missions over the Persian Gulf without their underwing tanks.
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That’s why they may need several plugs into aerial refuelers booms to extend their endurance.
F-22s also fly HVAAE (High Value Asset Air Escort) escorting UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) that operate along the boundaries of the Iranian airspace: during one such missions a Raptor discouraged two Iranian F-4s that were trying to intercept a Raptor drone.
Image credit: U.S. Air Force