The F-22 Raptor, one of America’s most advanced air superiority fighters, is built to face high-end aerial threats like advanced fighter jets and fast-moving aircraft.
However, during a recent deployment to the Middle East, pilots of these fifth-generation fighters adjusted their tactics to protect US and allied forces from an unexpected low-tech threat, Iranian-made drones and cruise missiles.
In early August 2024, the Pentagon announced the deployment of a carrier strike group, additional warships, and an F-22 fighter squadron in response to concerns that Iran and its allies—Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—might attack Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Lt. Col. Dustin Johnson, commander of the 90th Fighter Squadron, was among those who rushed to the region in August 2024.
His squadron, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, quickly found itself confronting a completely different type of challenge than they had trained for—facing small, slow-moving drones and missiles deployed by Iran and its allied militia groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.
In an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine, Johnson explained, “We were not necessarily worried about shooting down anybody else’s airplanes.”
“We were primarily there to defend our ground forces against the threats that were being posed by the UAVs in the AOR [Area of Responsibility], as well as the cruise missiles that we’ve seen become more prevalent, both from the Houthis as well as militia groups in the region,” he added.
While F-22s are designed for air-to-air combat with advanced enemy aircraft, they were now deployed to counter aerial threats that were much smaller and slower than the jets the Raptor was originally built to defeat.
The Crucial Paper That Helped F-22 Pilots
Drone warfare has transformed modern conflict, and in the Middle East, Iranian forces have capitalized on this emerging technology.
In one notable instance, Iran launched over 80 drones in April 2024 during an attack on Israel. The US Air Force fighter jets, including F-15Es and F-16s, responded by downing most of these UAVs.
The proliferation of drones and cruise missiles in the region and the difficulty in pinpointing their launch points created a fast-moving and complex battlefield that required rapid adaptation.
The Iranian drones, particularly the Shahed family of systems, have drawn major attention in recent years, especially due to their widespread use in various operational contexts. Most notably, these drones have been extensively deployed by the Russian military in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The United States Institute of Peace has documented Iran’s role in exporting unmanned aerial technology to several countries beyond its borders. These exports have reached both state and non-state actors, including groups like Hezbollah and militias in Iraq and Syria.
Additionally, Iran has exported these drones to at least seven countries, from Tajikistan to Venezuela. In early April 2023, Reuters also reported that Iranian drones might have found their way to Sudan, adding another front to their operational use.
These drones became a major threat when F-22 Raptors were deployed to the region last year. However, for the pilots of the F-22, this meant honing new tactics to deal with these low-tech but highly effective threats.
Detecting and neutralizing drones presented unique challenges, even for advanced aircraft like the F-22. Equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, the F-22 can better detect small objects like drones, but their low speed and size make identification and engagement complex.
“It’s air-to-air [combat], but it is a different type of air-to-air than we’ve ever really trained to before,” Johnson said, noting the stark differences between engaging an enemy fighter and targeting a drone or cruise missile.
The complexities of identifying and tracking these low-tech threats required new strategies, which were built on the lessons learned by the Air Force during earlier encounters with drones.
One key resource was a paper written by Maj. Benjamin Coffey, who had been awarded the Silver Star for shooting down drones from his F-15E during Tehran’s assault in April. Coffey’s paper outlined strategies for dealing with drones and was distributed to units like Johnson’s squadron before their deployment.
This knowledge-sharing proved invaluable and helped Johnson’s team modify their strategies “to deal with potential drone threats.”
The presence of the F-22s in the region also had a deterrent effect. When Iran attacked Israel in October 2024, it avoided deploying UAVs, relying instead on ballistic missiles, which were intercepted by US and Israeli air defenses. Johnson pointed to the F-22’s dual strategic and tactical utility as a factor in adversary decision-making.
The tactics and strategies developed in the Middle East will likely shape future air combat strategies as drones and cruise missiles continue to reshape how wars are fought.
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