From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
US begins to move F-22 stealth fighters toward Middle East
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The American military has begun to move 12 F-22 stealth fighter jets toward the Middle East, after they were stationed at an airbase in the United Kingdom in recent days, according to open-source flight tracking data and aircraft spotters.
The F-22s are seen taking off from Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England and linking up with KC-46 refueler planes, as they make their way toward the region.
The stealth fighters had arrived at Lakenheath last week and remained there for several days, reportedly due to issues with the refuelers.
Picture taken by our spotter shows F-22s linking up with its tanker (ROMA02) after departing RAF Lakenheath. pic.twitter.com/8zDzaJ5ePz
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) February 24, 2026
The movement of the jets comes as part of the United States’s massive buildup of military forces in the Middle East, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take military action against Iran.
Dozens of fighter jets — including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s, and F-16s — have been spotted heading to the Middle East by the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity in recent days.
The team says it’s also tracked dozens of accompanying fuel tankers, as well as hundreds of cargo flights, heading into the region since mid-February.
The Times of Israel Community.