It turns out that the press reports from early October were correct. The F-22 will indeed be making its debut appearance in the Middle East next month by performing in the Dubai Air Show in the United Arab Emirates. In a release Thursday, Air Forces Central said the F-22 is “scheduled to perform an aerial demonstration” at the show, which runs Nov. 15-19. Normally the F-22 demonstration team, based at Langley AFB, Va., sends two Raptors to an air show and each performs over the course of the show, 1st Fighter Wing spokeswoman 1st Lt. Georganne Schultz told the Daily Report Thursday. AFCENT said a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet is also scheduled to perform at Dubai, and there will be static displays of a C-130, E-3 AWACS, F-15, MQ-1 Predator, Navy E-2C and F/A-18E/F, and an Army Shadow remotely piloted vehicle.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.