It looks like the F-22s may move to Poland. Soon.
According to the Polish Media outlet Głos Wielkopolski, the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighters belonging to the 95th Fighter Squadron, from Tyndall Air Force Base, that arrived at Spangdahlem airbase on Aug. 28, will be deployed to Poland next Monday Aug. 31.
The U.S. jets are going to be involved in joint training with the Polish F-16 fighters and information published by Głos Wielkopolski suggests that the Raptors are going to be stationed at the Polish 32 AB in Łask (a news confirmed by the base spokesman according to Scramble).
The arrival of the four F-22s marks the beginning of the inaugural Rapid Raptor package deployment in Europe: the type has often taken part in rotational deployments in the Asia-Pacific region since 2009, to show the presence of Washington’s 5th generation stealth jet around the disputed islands in the South China Sea, while some are also taking parting in the air war against ISIS.
Some analysts speculate the Raptors were not deployed in Europe earlier because of the risk of close encounters with Russian ELINT jets above the Baltics and the resulting disclosure of some sensitive information pertaining the Raptor, a risk the stealth jet face all around the world, actually.
Image credit: U.S. Air Force
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Not too clever to make claims against Russia without proof.
You’re the only one who seems to think there’s no proof… So it’s all just a “misunderstanding”, right? Like the soldiers “on vacation” BS?
The first thing i learned, was never to underestimate the enemy, regardless, of inventory. There are many lessons to be learned by many people in that regard.
@Paul, you could argue the opposite as well, it wouldn´t exactly be a ringing endorsement of stealth if one Raptor got shot down by an S-300/400 missile would it?
And remember, that a SDB would be detectable for many seconds if thrown from 80+ milies away, they are not stealthy and especially in a swarm.
A lot of modern radar systems have passive seekers, which even a stealth aircraft would have trouble finding if at all. Further more, the passive radars are so small, that they can fit in a transit van (equivalent size of a US truck would be a eg.Dodge ram van)
It would be very foolish to underestimate russian radarsytems, and jammers.
Case in point, with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. A top US general has said that the rebel fraction are already capable of disturbing and jamming western navigation systems to such a degree, that they have rendered equipment useless, and those are just the equipment that rebels use, which are lowkey, and portable jammers.
Again, it would be very foolish to underestimate the cababilities of the russians.
I for one hope that it will never come to a confrontation between us and the russians.
Not underestimating, just being realistic. The S-300/400 is very dangerous to 4th gens, and represents a capable system to the F-22; I just wouldn’t take bets on any air defense system versus an aircraft, particularly one that is designed to break it – In every case in history that I can think of, the SAMs were eventually broken down by aircraft. The reason is quite simple: Aircraft can “redeploy” at >600mph (more like 1200mph for the F-22) whereas a SAM can redeploy at road speeds (40mph tops) AFTER packing up… I’ll take fighters any day – It’s precisely why the best counter to a fighter is typically another fighter, NOT a SAM system.
Like I said, the shoot down of a single, or even multiple aircraft proves NOTHING if it costs you your SAMs, your fighters, your AWACS, etc… Basically, the war. ALL adversaries know this, that’s why the major powers are demanding 5th gen aircraft… Without them, your air force is pretty much moot. Again, reliance on SAMs is because Russia CANNOT compete in the air… So SAMs are what they have. Good luck to ’em if they should provoke an incident.. They wanna trade a missile for each SDB the Raptor releases, let ’em go ahead… a mere 2-ship of F-22s drops 16 SDBs… Add in cruise missiles, and well, you get the idea..
if the Russians sell these systems in the middle east I thinkits only right that we sell/give some G to A miss. to the guys in Syria