A mere seven years (less than two presidential terms) after it was declared fit for combat operations, and then repeatedly grounded for operational issues, the F-22 Raptor has finally had its first taste of war, in the skies over what used to be Syria.
The F-22 fleet has been quietly deployed to a UAE airbase since 2012, originally as a deterrent against Iran’s nuclear aspirations (remember when that was the biggest crisis facing the world?). However, early Tuesday morning these weapons of war streaked across the Syrian sky and rained down ruination upon an ISIS stronghold. You can see video of the strike, recorded by the plane’s onboard synthetic aperture radar over at The Aviationist, or below.
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Picture: DoD