Exclusive Look Into the F-22’s First Combat Mission

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Air Force Magazine provides an inside look at the F-22’s first combat mission with an exclusive interview with one of the pilots who flew the historic mission. The article, “With the Raptors Over Syria,” will be featured in our February print edition, but we’re posting it here first. No one thought the F-22s would make their combat debut in Syria, including the pilots who had been training in the region for months. In fact, the aircraft already were configured for the long ride back to the United States when they were called to combat. From an F-15E engine malfunction that closed the runway for 20 minutes to Iraqi air traffic controllers vectoring the Raptors toward Iran instead of Syria, the fighters overcame several challenges, yet still managed to hit their target and safely accomplish the mission. (Click here to read the full story.)

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org