'US deploys F-22 Raptor fighter jets near Iran'

FOX news reports that US has stationed a number of its most premier fighters in UAE; US Air Force states the move is routine.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
F 22 Raptor fighter jet 370 (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
F 22 Raptor fighter jet 370
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The US has deployed several F-22 Raptor fighter jets to an allied base less than 320 kilometers (200 miles) from Iran, FOX news reported Friday.
The F-22, produced by Lockheed Martin, is the US' premier fighter jet, boasting stealth technology and specializing in air-to-air combat. It has not yet seen combat.
The US Air Force has strongly denied that this deployment represents a show of force against Iran or is in anyway related to a potential strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, the report stated. Instead, the move is part of a route deployment and "security cooperation with regional partners."
US officials told FOX that the jets were moved to hangars at the United Arab Emirates' Al Dafra Air Base. The US Air Force declined to comment on the number of jets sent or their location.
In a written statement, Lt.Col. John Dorrian of the US Air Force public affairs stated that "the United States Air Force has deployed F-22s to Southwest Asia. Such deployments strengthen military-to-military relationships, promote sovereign and regional security, improve combined tactical air operations, and enhance interoperability of forces, equipment and procedures."