F-22 stealth fighters deployed to Poland from Alaska to confront Russia
The deployment of a few, and outdated, but fifth-generation fighters in Poland, which has signed an agreement with South Korea on the acquisition of hundreds of modern tanks and self-propelled howitzers, represents an important demonstration of force against Russia, writes MWM.
It seems that Poland has an important role in the ongoing conflict between NATO and Russia: The United States has deployed fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighters to the 32nd Tactical air Base in the city of Lusk in the center of the country, where they will form the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron in support of the alliance's air cover operations. The government in Warsaw has long taken a particularly tough stance against Moscow, even among other NATO members, and Polish citizens and military contractors have noted Kiev's support in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict: Poland has already transferred several billion dollars' worth of military equipment to Ukraine. Poland borders not only with Ukraine, but also with Belarus and the Russian enclave in Kaliningrad, so it is noteworthy that the F-22s now based there have been transferred from positions in Alaska near Russia's Far Eastern borders. Kaliningrad is the westernmost tip of Russia, from where it is closer to New York than to the Far East. The transfer emphasizes that Russia and NATO essentially surround the whole world: their territories meet in Eastern Europe on the one hand and in the Bering Strait on the other.
The F-22 is one of two fifth—generation Western fighters in active service and the only one fully operational (unlike its lighter counterpart, the F-35). The deployment of the fighter in Poland is due to the fact that its Russian rival Su-57 has already been noted in the Ukrainian theater of operations by suppressing enemy air defenses and pinpoint strikes beyond visibility — the F-22 is deprived of such capabilities. However, the Su-57 is considered unprepared for intense combat and is used in extremely limited quantities, since it is at the very beginning of the production cycle. The F-22, by contrast, will be phased out in 2023 due to a wide range of performance issues.
Although the F-22 and Su-57 are both leading NATO and Russian fighters, they are unlikely to get an important role in the event of an escalation of hostilities between Moscow and the Western alliance. A small number of F-22s, short range, outdated avionics, extremely low availability and inability to effectively interact with modern combat vehicles, as well as its lack of combat capabilities beyond visibility, seriously limit its potential. The Su-57 fleet is too small and is at an early stage of development, so it also cannot have a serious impact. Nevertheless, the deployment of the F-22 in Poland, which on the same day signed an agreement with South Korea on the acquisition of over 1,600 modern tanks and self-propelled howitzers, represents an important demonstration of force against Russia: thanks to its unsurpassed stealth and advanced flight characteristics, the F—22 is still a unique threat, despite constant problems.
