In a poignant demonstration of air superiority, a story often recounted and steeped in military lore showcases the stark contrast between the United States Air Force’s cutting-edge technology and Iran’s dated military equipment. A decade ago, an incident involving a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone and an accompanying pair of stealthy F-22 Raptors underscored this disparity. Iranian pilots, operating Vietnam War-era F-4 Phantom IIs, attempted to intercept the drone, unaware of the Raptors’ presence until one of the F-22s dramatically made its presence known.
The F-22, undetected, flew beneath the Iranian aircraft, assessed its armament, and then surfaced beside it, issuing a pointed suggestion for the Iranian pilots to return home. As previously chronicled by The National Interest’s Eli Fuhrman, “The incident demonstrates the impressive stealth characteristics of the Raptor, which was able to approach the two Iranian fighters undetected and scout out their arsenals, before scaring them off.”
This stark encounter illustrates the gulf between the U.S.’s advanced fifth-generation fighter technology and Iran’s reliance on aircraft that were state-of-the-art over half a century ago. Iran, while having some adept pilots, could not bridge the technological chasm that separates a 21st-century marvel like the F-22 from the antiquated Phantoms, often hampered by limited maneuverability and significant blind spots—liabilities in aerial combat.
Iran continues to operate F-4 Phantoms due to a confluence of sanctions and a historical reliance on U.S.-provided equipment before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Despite innovations and domestic manufacturing efforts to sustain its aging air fleet with homegrown parts, Tehran’s airborne capabilities significantly lag when juxtaposed with modern air forces. A Defense Intelligence Agency report highlights the Iranian Air Force’s primary attack aircraft, the F-4, and its vulnerability to contemporary air defenses, despite its role in Iran’s strategic posture.
The United States, while boasting a comparatively limited number of operational F-22s due to production ceasing in 2011, maintains a qualitative edge in aerial combat. No new F-22s will grace the skies; however, the existing fleet of 186 Raptors remains a testament to air superiority ambitions envisioned during their inception in the late 20th century. They were designed to dominate aerial engagements, equipped with stealth capabilities, sensor fusion, and advanced weaponry that ensure a “first kill opportunity” against adversaries.
The cessation of F-22 production was not without controversy, as initial plans called for a substantial fleet of 750 Raptors. “Now the United States faces concerns about its dwindling fleet of F-22 Raptors that were once intended to replace the F-15 outright,” Alex Hollings wrote for Business Insider. “Only around 130 of those 186 delivered F-22s were ever operational, and today the number of combat-ready F-22s is likely in the double digits.”
However, the shift in U.S. military priorities toward counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, as well as the prohibitive costs of restarting production, led to a reduced fleet. The Air Force has since shifted focus to the development of the sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which looks to the future of air superiority.
Relevant articles:
– ‘You Ought to Go Home’: An F-22 Raptor Flew Under Iran’s F-4 Phantom Undetected, The National Interest, Nov 23, 2023
– Why Iran Still Flies the Ancient F-4 Phantom Fighter (Made in USA), nationalinterest.org
– A Filipino attack jet reportedly beat the F-22 in air combat exercises, sandboxx.us
– The Air Force Only Has 186 F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighters, nationalinterest.org