In a dramatic demonstration of stealth and technological prowess, a US Air Force F-22 Raptor easily dodged Iranian jets over international waters, underscoring expensive tensions between the two countries. The incident occurred this year and stressed the superior agility and strategic importance of advanced fighter escorts to U.S. drones operating near a variety of locales.
The incident occurred in November 2012, when two Iranian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25s fired on a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone 16 miles from the Iranian border. Their attempts failed, those aircraft were unable to shoot down that drone, which was developed mainly for close air support. This incident goes on now to force the United States to begin protecting its drones using their fighter jets.
A year later, Iranian F-4 Phantoms attacked an MQ-1 Predator, not realizing that it was being guarded by a stealthy F-22 Raptor. The fifth-generation F-22, developed for state-of-the-art stealth, stayed invisible throughout the pursuit of these Iranian fighters. Unseen, the F-22 pilot, Lt. Col. Kevin “Showtime” Sutterfield, hung under the Iranian jets while analyzing their weapons load.
Gen. Mark Welsh, shortly thereafter Air Force Chief of Staff, described this encounter: the F-22 pilot “flew under their aircraft to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there.” Having seen and heard all he needed, Showtime announced his presence to the Iranian aviators as he climbed next to their aircraft and told them to leave. The Iranian F-4s promptly complied by departing the area.
The F-22 Raptor merges stealth, supercruise, supermaneuverability, and sensor fusion into a single air dominance platform, now considered as a technological marvel. Its advanced software can synthesize data from many onboard sensors, providing a pilot with a complete tactical picture at any given moment.
Although efficient fighters, the Iranian F-4 Phantoms were no match for the F-22. Born out of necessity in 1958, the F-4 was designed for high-speed interception and not for dogfighting, so the lack of its maneuverability compared to the much more sophisticated F-22 made it an ideal prey. The incident emits quite a reminder of the technological discrepancy within the air force of these two countries and the strategic advantage of advanced stealth fighters over one another.
As the U.S. and Iran go on to negotiate in their complicated relationship, incidents like this one underscore the necessity to keep technological superiority, as well as remain prepared for potential threats. The world usually watches as these two nations come together—hopefully without too much fight in the air.