From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
US F-22 stealth fighters deploying at Israeli Air Force base in south, as US builds up forces
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
American F-22 stealth fighter jets that departed from the United Kingdom earlier today are being deployed at an Israeli Air Force base in southern Israel, as part of the United States’s massive buildup of military forces in the Middle East, The Times of Israel has learned.
A total of 12 F-22s were seen taking off from Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England, although one reportedly returned to the airbase due to a technical issue. The stealth fighters had arrived at Lakenheath last week and remained there for several days, reportedly due to issues with their accompanying refuelers.
The movement of the jets to the Middle East comes 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.
First 3 of 12 F-22 Raptors departing RAF Lakenheath pic.twitter.com/qo7E0Ffu8O
— Glenn (@TallGlenn85) February 24, 2026
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.