Tri-Service

US F-22 Raptors Deploy To Europe

The F-22 Raptor is arguably the most capable fighter aircraft in the world, and a potent symbol of American air power.

The only previous visit to Europe saw the F-22 steal the show at Farnborough in 2010.

This though will be very different: a full-blown training deployment aimed at getting the F-22 ready to fight alongside European planes like the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Speaking about the deployment General Mark Welsh, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff said "We have allies in Europe who have advanced capabilities.. Being able to train side-by-side with them and do that kind of training is really, really important to us, and that's what this is for."

It matters because of what's happening in Eastern Europe.

US To Deploy F-22 Fighters To Europe — F-22 Infographic

The deployment is part of the European Reassurance Initiative: a package of exercises being used to publicly support allies worried about Russia.

Countries like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have been rattled by events in Ukraine and called on NATO for help deterring trouble.

The US and Britain are among those to respond, with troops deployed for exercises and aircraft sent to bolster NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission.

The F-22s won't be directly involved in that mission but will, the U.S. Air Force say, visit bases where American fighters regularly deploy, including on air policing missions.

No question though that it's a powerful signal to Russia.

A fact starkly laid out by Deborah Lee James, Secretary of the U.S. Air Force..

"Secretary of Defence Carter put it quite well last week when he said that our approach to Russia needs to be strong and it needs to be balanced.. For the Air Force, an F-22 deployment is certainly on the strong side of the coin."

The F-22 is a cut above even the Eurofighter Typhoon it will fly alongside in Europe.

It is a true fifth generation fighter: stealthy, extremely manoeuvrable and crammed full of top secret electronics.

It can carry eight air to air missiles hidden in its payload bay. If stealth is not a priority, yet more can hang from the wings.

For security reasons there's no word yet on where the F-22s will be based while they're here. The technologies on board are so secret that the aircraft was never sold to even America's closest allies. For the air show visits five years ago, F-22s were only allowed to fly from U.S. Air Force bases.