A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor takes gas from a KC-135 tanker enroute to Syria.
Although the F-22 Raptor can carry its air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry in its internal weapons bays, it relies on rather unstealthy fuel tanks when it needs to increase its range.
That’s why aircraft must be refueled mid-air by tankers several times, to be able to remain in the air for the 6 – 7 (or more) hours required to reach northern Syria and return to Al Dhafra in the UAE after dropping ordnance.
Here’s an interesting video showing the stealth multi-role fighter jets take fuel from a KC-10 Extender tanker during on Sept. 27, 2014.
According to the French pilots, aerial combat with the Raptor is extremely important, regardless of the outcome of the dogfight: training with the F-22 gives French Mirage 2000 the possibility to learn to fight against a superior fighter: “Sometimes a battle begins even before meeting the adversary, when it is necessary to convince themselves that the opponent is not so terrible, and despite the gap of performance, the technological chasm, one is able to get the game.”
Six F-22 Raptor aircraft belonging to the 3rd Wing from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have arrived at Lajes field, in the Azores on Sept. 27.
The aircraft were deploying to an undisclosed location in the Middle East: considered the almost permanent presence of the stealth fighter jets at Al Dhafra, it is quite likely the Raptors photographed by André Inácio were on their way to the large U.S. base in the United Arab Emirates.
Few days ago, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said that an F-22 Raptor flying an HVAAE (High Value Air Asset Escort) over the Persian Gulf flew under two Iranian F-4 to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing, called them and said ‘you really ought to go home’ because they were pursuing an MQ-1 Predator.
The 3rd Wing has recently developed a new concept to deploy four F-22s and make them ready for combat from a remote location in 24 hours. Raptors from JBER in Alaska are among the F-22s with the most recent “Block 3.1″ hardware and software upgrade, that provides the ability to find and engage ground targets and drop GBU-39 small diameter bombs.
Six United Arab Emirates 2000 fighter jets participated in Red Flag 13-2 held at Nellis AFB from Jan. 21 to Feb. 1, 2013.
These aircraft, 708 and 710 Mirage 2000-9DAD, and 729, 731, 783, 763 Mirage 2000EAD aircraft, could not be photographed during the RF 13-2 Media Day photoshoot.
However, following completion of RF 13-2 these aircraft took part in Green Flag; oddly, there were no restrictions imposed to photographers on the UAE planes during the Media Day held on Feb. 27, 2013.
Supported by two UAE C-17 cargo planes, the Mirage 2000 were reportedly tasked with strike packages escort missions.
Tony Lovelock attended both RF 13-2 and 13-3 media events and took some interesting images of the Mirage 2000s.
The line up on the Ramp was photographed on Mar. 28, the other one departing during the afternoon Red Flag launch on Mar. 27.
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