The capabilities of both the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightening II are both being taken into account as the services develop the airborne electronic attack “system of systems,” said Maj. Jeff Salem, head of Air Combat Command’s electronic attack requirements shop. (See above) However, although he couldn’t “talk to specifics,” Salem said that the two fighters would be a part of the new AEA landscape. “They will complement each other, but they’re not necessarily tied together,” he added.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.