The Houthi statement on social media X said the F-22 was “shot down in Sanaa,” one of six locations targeted by the US on Thursday night and early Friday morning local time. However, there was no visual evidence that the US aircraft, nicknamed “Iron Bird,” was shot down.
A US military F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. Photo: GI
The Pentagon confirmed that the Tomahawk missiles were launched from US Navy surface ships and the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Florida. However, the air operations were carried out by the Royal Air Force and involved four Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 aircraft, supported by Voyager aerial refueling aircraft.
According to the US Department of Defense , fighter jets participating in the campaign launched Paveway IV guided bombs to conduct precision strikes on two Houthi facilities.
In June last year, the US Air Force deployed a number of F-22 Raptor fighters to the Middle East - the area of responsibility of the US Central Command (CENCOM) - to deal with instability in the region.
The F-22 Raptor is an American fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Developed in the late 1980s, the F-22 is hailed as the “invincible” of the US Air Force due to its high maneuverability.
This is a single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical aircraft designed to combine stealth, supercruise, agility and situational awareness, as well as strong support capabilities.
Although primarily an air superiority fighter, the Raptor can also serve as a ground attack aircraft. In nearly two decades of official service, no F-22 Raptor stealth fighter has ever been shot down, but there have been a few crashes.
Hoang Anh (According to National Interest)
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