---
title: "The F-22 Conducted Its First-Ever ‘Combat Surge’ In The Skies Above Syria"
date: "2018-10-12"
modified: "2018-10-12"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/f-22-combat-surge-syria/"
categories:
  - "Air Force"
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Fighter Aircraft"
  - "Middle East"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
tags:
  - "central command"
---

# The F-22 Conducted Its First-Ever ‘Combat Surge’ In The Skies Above Syria

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/18990221-1.jpg>)

Airmen assigned to the 94th Fighter Squadron completed the first-ever F-22 Raptor "combat surge" over the last six months in skies above Syria, the Department of Defense [announced](<https://www.dvidshub.net/news/295894/jble-airmen-return-frontline>) on Wednesday, conducting an aggressive number of combat sorties over a single three-day period.

- The squadron, deployed to the Middle East from Joint Base Langely-Eustis in Virginia to provide air support for U.S.-led coalition forces fighting ISIS in Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, conducted 590 sorties, dropping 4,250 pounds of ordnance, and "deterring" 587 enemy aircraft during the six-month deployment.

- While the Pentagon didn't specify when the three-day surge occurred, the DoD stated that the squadron faced "both enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile systems" as part of the U.S. response to the Syrian regime's illegal use of chemical weapons back earlier this year.
- The F-22 seems perfectly suited to deliver relative air superiority in a battle space where U.S. and foreign aircraft are increasingly [entangled](<https://www.businessinsider.com/syria-missile-interceptors-miss-photos-blind-fires-2018-4>) in [regular intercepts](<https://defence-blog.com/news/russian-fighter-jets-intercept-u-s-f-22-raptor-flying-over-syria.html>). Indeed, the first air-to-air kill in nearly two decades involved a Syrian Sukhoi Su-22 that earned itself a missile after messing with coalition ground forces, albeit thanks to a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet rather than an F-22.
- Things will only get dicier in the coming months. Russia's Ministry of Defense recently [announced](<https://tass.com/defense/1025657>) its T-50 fifth-generation fighter jet that saw testing in Syria in February was on schedule to make a comeback tour. This comes just weeks after Russia [announced](<https://www.armyrecognition.com/october_2018_global_defense_security_army_news_industry/russian_s_300pm_air_defence_systems_and_missiles_donated_to_syria.html>) the transfer of the S-300 missile defense system to the Syrian regime following the shootdown of a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 military aircraft over the Mediterranean.

**WATCH NEXT:**

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image-placeholder-title-1222.png>)

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

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