US deploys its F-22 Raptors to Middle East amid Russia tensions

US Central Command deployed its advanced F-22 Raptors to the Middle East, according to a statement released on Wednesday. The F-22 is among the most advanced air superiority fighter jets in the world, but the US has generally not had advanced adversaries to use it against over the last decades.

Recently, F-22s were used to shoot down several flying objects and a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the US in February. This was the aircraft's first “kill” against a foreign object. 

“US Air Force F-22 Raptors deployed to US Central Command's area of responsibility as part of a multifaceted show of US support and capability in the wake of increasingly unsafe and unprofessional behavior by Russian aircraft in the region,” US Central Command said. The statement referenced tensions with Russia. READ MORE