US said to begin moving another six F-22 stealth fighters toward Middle East

The American military has begun to move another six F-22 stealth fighter jets toward the Middle East, according to analysts monitoring open-source flight tracking data.

The six F-22s are expected to be deployed at an Israeli Air Force base, where 11 other stealth fighters landed yesterday.

According to flight tracking data and analysts, the six F-22s took off from the United States earlier today and linked up with their accompanying refueler planes, and they are en route to the Royal Air Force Lakenheath airbase in England.

Yesterday, 12 F-22s that were stationed at RAF Lakenheath took off for Israel, although one returned to the airbase due to a technical issue. The 11 stealth fighters are now deployed at an IAF base in southern Israel, according to defense officials.

Langley F-22s Cell 2 crossing underway #FreeIran
— "Operation LION & SUN" —

In a mirror of yesterday's movement of 6x F-22A "Raptor" jets, another 6 are airborne and linking up with tankers for the crossing to RAF Lakenheath. 3 tankers will take them part way, and then 2… pic.twitter.com/FFxwfzaojb

— DefenceGeek ???????? (@DefenceGeek) February 25, 2026

The F-22, operated exclusively by the US Air Force, is the world’s most advanced air-superiority fighter, built for unmatched speed, maneuverability and stealth in air-to-air combat.

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.