The F-22 Raptor continues to lend its unique
capabilities to the fight against ISIS, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark
Welsh said April 22 during a Washington D.C. defense symposium. “It’s being
used when it’s appropriate for it to be used,” he said, especially when air
commanders in the region decide they “need that particular platform.” The
Raptor is called upon when the “scenarios and targets” call for its unique
capabilities, he added. The F-22 has been lauded by senior USAF officials for
its ability to coordinate and improve the combat effectiveness of strike
packages in Operation Inherent Resolve. After its
combat debut in
the opening waves of the Syria campaign last September, the F-22 has continued
to
prove its utility in
the air campaign, Air Combat Command’s Gen. Hawk Carlisle said this past
February. In addition to its ability to fly into defended airspace, its
capabilities as a combat escort, its air tasking capabilities, and its
significant sensor and dynamic targeting tools have exceeded expectations in
the air campaign against ISIS, Carlisle noted previously.
