Stealth F-22 Raptors Adapt to Evading Iranian Challenges in the Middle Eastern Theatre

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F-22 Raptors Take on a Different Battle in the Middle East

When Lieutenant Colonel Dustin Johnson and his F-22 Raptor squadron received orders to deploy to the Middle East, they faced an unexpected challenge. Despite being America's top-notch air superiority fighter, they had to be ready for low-end threats such as drones and cruise missiles, a real concern in the recent turmoil of the region.

"We weren't too worried about taking down other airplanes," Johnson stated in an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine. "Our main focus was defending our ground troops against the threats posed by UAVs in our area of responsibility, along with the cruise missiles that have become increasingly common, both from the Houthis and militia groups in the region."

The shift in warfare called for a unique response, even from a high-end fighter like the F-22.

The deployment happened swiftly. In early August, Johnson and his crew were called from their home base at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, following Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Iran's threats of retaliation. Reaching the Middle East on short notice, they were flying combat missions within a day of arriving at an undisclosed airbase in the region.

Drones had shown their destructive power earlier. During an Iranian attack on Israel in April 2024, over 80 drones were launched, downed by American F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16s, as well as allied planes. These drones were also found in the hands of Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, creating numerous and geographically dispersed threats.

"It was a ever-changing situation," Johnson said. "Knowing the exact locations of threats and when they would appear is growing more challenging, as the threat continues to expand to the point that it can come from anyone, anywhere, with a single UAV."

Though drones posed less of a threat to the F-22s than a top-tier Chinese fighter, taking them down still presented some difficulties. Like the F-16s and F-15Es, the F-22s recently deployed had Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, making it easier to detect drones [1]. However, due to the drones' minuscule size and slow speed, detecting them remained hard.

"It's air-to-air combat, but it's a different kind than we've ever really trained for," Johnson declared. "Both the difference between a cruise missile and a UAV, and their identification can cause significant problems."

The F-22s could learn from prior experiences. Major Benjamin Coffey of the 494th Fighter Squadron, who received the Silver Star for downing drones in April using his F-15E, wrote a paper outlining strategies for tackling these new threats.

"He wrote a paper, essentially, reviewing everyone's footage from those initial shoot-downs," Captain Brian Tesch of the 494th Fighter Squadron said. "This isn't something you can pull off without training or proper preparation. It's not something you can go out there and randomly practice."

Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, noted in November that he ensured this paper was distributed to units deploying to the Middle East. Johnson and his pilots found it helpful in refining their tactics to counter potential drone threats.

"The Weapons School teaches a community of problem-solving that is adaptable enough to tackle problems we haven't even considered yet," Johnson said. "Even though this specific mission isn't part of our standard syllabus, this approach is incredibly valuable when facing evolving threats like drones and cruise missiles."

Iran opted not to use UAVs during the next attack on Israel in October, instead relying on ballistic missiles, which were countered by Israeli and U.S. air defense systems. Johnson and his squad returned home just before Thanksgiving.

For Johnson, the F-22 "is a strategic and tactical asset." Its versatility leaves question marks about opposing forces' defensive capabilities whenever it's deployed. "Its applicability to different scenarios is 100 percent," Johnson stated. "Given that the potential for superpower conflicts could heat up, the lessons we've learned about defending against drones and cruise missiles will prove crucial in the future."

News Editor Greg Hadley contributed reporting.

Air

Some Interesting Tidbits:

Utilization of sensor suite, passive radar operations, IRST, air-to-air Missile Employment, and networking with other assets help the F-22 handle low-end threats like drones and cruise missiles.
The role of the F-22 remains centered on countering high-end air threats due to its advanced stealth capabilities and air superiority mission.
Despite its adaptation to low-end threats, the F-22's primary role of countering high-end threats remains its strong suit.

The shift in warfare demanded a unique response from the F-22 Raptors, even though they are primarily designed for air superiority, as they bolstered ground troop defenses against drones and cruise missiles in the Middle East.
The Multinational Aerospace and Defense Industry has been instrumental in providing advanced technology, such as Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, to military aircraft, aiding in the detection of low-end threats like drones.
The Militarycyberspace Force, along with the Air Force and Space Force, plays a crucial role in monitoring potential threats from space and providing critical intelligence to ground troops, contributing to an effective defensive posture.
Finance and budgeting are essential to maintaining the technology and operations of aerospace assets, including drones, missiles, and aircraft, which are increasingly necessary given the evolving nature of modern warfare.
Collaboration between different branches of the Military, including the Air Force, Space Force, and industry partners, is essential for the development and implementation of effective countermeasures against drones, cruise missiles, and other low-end threats.
As the landscape of warfare changes and evolves, it is vital for military units like the F-22 Raptor squadrons to continue refining their tactics and adapting to new threats, such as drones and cruise missiles, to preserve their operational effectiveness and maintain a strong defensive posture.

Stealth F-22 Raptors Adapt to Evading Iranian Challenges in the Middle Eastern Theatre