After a four-year pause, the Arctic Thunder Air Show returned to the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. Held during the last weekend of July 2022, the occasion enthralled the viewers because it featured a powerful show by the lethal trio of US Air Force fighters.
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As a part of the ‘Arctic Thunder’ Air Show held on July 30 and 31, an F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, and two F-22 Raptors flew in a formation at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The {photograph} of the gorgeous show was shared on Twitter by the F-35 Joint Program Office.
The US Air Force describes the present as one of many world’s premier aerial demonstrations. The Arctic Thunder options the US Air Force’s Air Demonstration Squadron, the “Thunderbirds,” and the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team.
A @usairforce F-35, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and two F-22 Raptors, fly in formation through the @ArcticThunderAK at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
This biennial occasion is without doubt one of the premier aerial demonstrations on the earth. pic.twitter.com/PugeEwPBLn
— F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office (@theF35JPO) August 10, 2022
In one other flight, an F-35 Lightning II took to the skies in formation with an F-22 Raptor through the Arctic Thunder Open House on Friday, July 29, 2022, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The F-35s are based mostly on the Eielson Base in Alaska. Together with the Raptors at JBER, Alaska is being arrange as the biggest focus of fifth-generation fighters.
In the 2022 version of the air present, the opposite members included the C-17 Globemaster III Demonstration Team, which demonstrated the capabilities of one of many main cargo and personnel workhorses of the Department of Defense.
The Open House additionally had performances from various floor shows. In addition, the Joint Forces Demonstration included Alaska’s personal Air National Guard and US Army Alaska paratroopers to point out how the JBER army operates collectively in concord and coordination.
While a number of demonstrations and aerial maneuvers mesmerized the viewers, the demo the place the F-16, F-22, and the F-35 flew collectively stood out.
The F-22 and the F-35 are the world’s most interesting fifth-generation fighter jets with stealth capabilities, whereas the F-16 is without doubt one of the lightest and most maneuverable single-engine fight plane.
These three plane, alongside the F-15 EX, are the bedrock of the US Air Forces’ fight readiness.
The “4+1” plan of the USAF requires the F-22 as one leg, adopted by the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter; the F-35 because the “cornerstone” of the fleet as one other; the F-15E/EX as a complement to hold huge armaments as a 3rd; and F-16s as force-capacity upkeep as a fourth.
The host group for Alaska’s Elmendorf Air Force Base, the place the air present was held, is the third wing. It is the biggest unit of the Eleventh Air Force. An Air Expeditionary Force lead wing with 6,700 folks, and F-15C, F-15E, E-3, C-130, and C-12 plane are skilled and outfitted by the wing. The base can be residence to F-22 Raptors.
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The F-22 Raptors had additionally been coaching with the F-35 fighters and F-16s based mostly in Eielson AFB, Alaska, for the Red Flag train.
This is very vital resulting from Russia’s curiosity in Alaska and the latter’s strategic location from which these fifth-gen fighters can take off from Russia and China.
F-22 Raptors Chase Away Russian Jet
On August 10, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tweeted that it had detected, tracked, and recognized Russian surveillance plane coming into and working throughout the Alaskan ADIZ on two totally different events, EurAsian Times reported.
A day later, one other related flight of Russian surveillance plane was reported.
The NORAD Command additionally said that the Russian surveillance plane didn’t enter the American or Canadian sovereign airspace. The Alaska ADIZ is a buffer zone with hundreds of sq. miles that isn’t sovereign airspace and the place Russian jets are legally allowed to fly.
Three occasions this week @ANRALCOM detected, tracked and recognized a Russian plane coming into and working throughout the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), a buffer zone surrounding 🇺🇸&🇨🇦 that #WeHaveTheWatch of 24/7/365. https://t.co/tewin16N3z
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) August 11, 2022
However, coming into it will permit a aircraft to enter American airspace in a brief interval. NORAD normally dispatches the F-22 Raptors from the threerd wing to intercept Russian surveillance plane accompanied with aerial refueling KC-135 Stratotanker plane and E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and management plane.
“NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based radars, airborne radar, and fighter aircraft to track and identify aircraft and inform appropriate actions. We remain ready to employ several response options in defense of North America & Arctic sovereignty”, mentioned NORAD in a tweet.
In 2020, the variety of such interceptions touched 60. However, the maneuvers have come down after Moscow launched the invasion of Ukraine in February this 12 months.
A protection official advised VOA that the US F-22 fighter jets intercepted the second Russian plane upon coming into the airspace whereas following the protocol.
The official added that each entries concerned the identical kind of Russian surveillance plane. Speaking to VOA earlier this 12 months, Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska mentioned the US army has needed to “scramble” extra fighter jets to intercept Russian army plane “probably more than any other time since the mid-1980s.”
