U.S. F-22 stealth jets deployed in the Gulf take fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker.
In order to keep their radar invisibility, U.S. F-22 Raptor multirole jets operating from Al Dhafra, UAE, fly their Combat Air Patrol missions over the Persian Gulf without their underwing tanks.
That’s why they may need several plugs into aerial refuelers booms to extend their endurance.
F-22s also fly HVAAE (High Value Asset Air Escort) escorting UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) that operate along the boundaries of the Iranian airspace: during one such missions a Raptor discouraged two Iranian F-4s that were trying to intercept a Raptor drone.
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Image credit: U.S. Air Force
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