The Dubai Air Show, which ran from November 12-16, drew a strong contingent of US military aircraft deployed to the region. It enabled both a showcase of American hardware and a useful chance to catch up on recent operations.
THIS YEAR’S DUBAI Air Show in November was once again an opportunity for the US military to showcase some of its assets that are deployed to the Central Command (CENTCOM) region. It drew several participants from the ongoing Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’ including a pair of F-15E Strike Eagles, two F-16CM Fighting Falcons, two F-22A Raptors, an E-3B AWACS, a MH-60S Knighthawk, a CH-53E Super Stallion, an MV-22B Osprey and a KC- 130J Hercules. An AV-8B Harrier II was also due to attend but was pulled due to operational commitments.
The Raptors (serials 05-4094 and 05-4095) came from the 95th Fighter Squadron ‘Boneheads’, which are currently deployed from their home at Tyndall AFB, Florida, to Al Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi. In October the squadron’s six detached F-22s replaced those of the 27th FS, which headed home to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Having been the first squadron to enter the fray in September 2014, Raptors of the 27th FS have to date carried out 250 air tasking …
