RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Twelve U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor aircraft assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, forward deployed, Aug. 4, 2022 to the 32nd Tactical Air Base, Łask, Poland, to support NATO Air Shielding.
As part of NATO’s plan to bolster its collective defense posture, the 90th Fighter Squadron will take over the mission from the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, which has been executing the coalition’s Air Policing mission since their arrival in theater on May 2, 2022.
The F-35 Lightening IIs of the158th FW completed their 3-month rotational deployment at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, in support of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission along the Eastern flank and returned to Vermont Aug. 3, 2022.
USAFE’s ability to support and integrate with NATO’s air shielding missions continually hardens the alliance’s solidarity, collective resolve, and ability to adapt to a dynamic warfighting environment.
The Raptor is a critical component of the global strike Task Force, and designed to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances to defeat threats. A combination of sensor capability, integrated avionics, situational awareness, and weapons provides first-kill opportunity against threats. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. It cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft, making it a highly strategic platform to support NATO Air Shielding.
Imagery will be available on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/supporteuropartallies.
For more information, please call +49 (0) 6371-47-6558 or e-mail usafepao.pao@us.af.mil. If after duty hours, please call +49 (0) 1624-25-5428 or e-mail usafepa.pastaffdutyofficer@us.af.mil.