F-22 Raptors Join F-15s and F-35s in Hawaii Prepping for a China War

An F-22 Raptor performs an aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker during a training mission Aug. 7, 2014, near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. / U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany Richards/Released

In preparation for a potential future conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Air Force used the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet to test one of the most important concepts for near-peer warfare.

F-22 Raptors “ACEing” it

In June, F-22 Raptor fighter jets stationed in Hawaii deployed to Japan in order to conduct Agile Combat Employment (ACE) drills with F-15C/D Eagles fourth-generation fighter jets and F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets.

“This is the first time the 354th AEW has conducted a dynamic force employment with multiple airframes from multiple home stations. We are excited to bring the Hawaiian Raptors into our AEW and refine our high-end warfighting capabilities in a forward-deployed ACE setting,” U.S. Air Force Colonel David Berkland, the commanding officer of the 354th Air Expeditionary Wing, said in a press release.