Amid rising tensions in the region, F-22 Raptor fighters from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, visited Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines as a show of deterrence in the South China Sea. These stealth fighters belong to the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which was recently deployed to Australia for the Pitch Black 2024 exercises, where they operated alongside a wide array of allied air forces, including those of Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Particularly, on August 6, a group of four F-22s landed at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Base in Indonesia. According to the official statement from the Indonesian Air Force, this was the first deployment of these aircraft in the country, marking an occasion to conduct joint training flights and refueling maneuvers. Notably, C-130 aircraft supported the stealth fighters by transporting spare parts and technical personnel necessary for these operations.
Simultaneously, another group of four F-22s landed at Rimba Air Base in Brunei, where they remained for three days. Unlike the activities in Indonesia, the focus in Brunei was on briefings between USAF personnel and the Royal Brunei Air Force, with the aircraft being displayed in static exhibitions. This was also the first time F-22s visited the country, although it was not the first visit by U.S. stealth aircraft; previously, F-35 fighters had made a stop there.
As for the deployment in the Philippines, which took place on August 8 at Basa Air Base, it involved a total of six F-22s from the U.S. and was greeted by FA-50 light fighters from the host nation. Unlike the previous two locations, Basa Air Base, recently renovated, has a long history of receiving U.S. aircraft in recent years, being the site for the bilateral “Cope Thunder” exercises.
Finally, regarding the rising tensions in the region, it should be noted that the Philippines has been conducting a series of military exercises and maritime patrols in cooperation with the U.S. and other allied nations such as Japan and Australia. China, the primary target of these deterrence displays, has also been conducting combat patrols with fighters and naval vessels, including recent dangerous interception maneuvers against Philippine Air Force surveillance aircraft, clearly demonstrating its intent to challenge the Philippines’ presence in the South China Sea, which the Asian giant claims as its own.
*Image credits: U.S. Air Force.
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