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U.S. Air Force to deploy Raptors to Japan, Guam

  • Published
  • Thirteenth Air Force Public Affairs
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  The U.S. Air Force is scheduled to deploy two contingents of F-22A Raptors to the Pacific theater in May for approximately four months.

Current plans call for 12 of the fighters to deploy to Kadena Air Base, Japan, from the 94th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and another 12 to deploy to Andersen AFB, Guam, from the 525th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. More than 500 personnel will accompany the aircraft.

The deployments support U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Packages in the Western Pacific. They follow the recent departure from the theater of two deployed squadrons of F-22As also supporting U.S. PACOM's TSP.

Twelve fighters from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB left Kadena in mid-April. Fourteen fighters from the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf left Andersen AFB, also in mid-April.

These new deployments are the fifth and sixth in the Pacific theater for the U.S. Air Force's newest fighter aircraft. The F-22A features a combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability.