Combat Debut In Syria
On Sept. 29, 2014, the Air Force said the F-22 Raptor made its combat debut with its first strike on enemy ground targets in the coalition fight against ISIL. The article framed the aircraft as a fifth-generation fighter whose stealth, speed, and fused avionics could add value to the coalition package even though the jet was designed primarily for air dominance.
That same reporting is what makes the F-22's Operation Inherent Resolve entry distinct in the archive: the aircraft did not just patrol the theater, it was already being described in official coverage as an active strike participant in the anti-ISIS air campaign.
Sources: F-22 Raptor brings unique capabilities to the coalition fight against ISIL
Close Air Support And Strike Support
A Sept. 7, 2015 AFCENT feature described F-22s over Syria receiving a short-notice 9-line request, destroying field artillery pieces operated by ISIS, and later striking Daesh-controlled fighting positions in Iraq with GBU-32 JDAMs. The article called those missions the aircraft's first close air support engagements and said the Raptor had become a routine part of Operation Inherent Resolve air tasking.
The same account said F-22 pilots were also using the aircraft's advanced sensors to give coalition forces additional situational awareness, which helps explain why the aircraft appears in this conflict archive under both strike and support roles.
Sources: F-22 adapts to OIR conflict, 'Cleared Hot' in Iraq, Syria
Mosul And The Broader Coalition Fight
By 2017, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing reporting said 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-22s had supported CJTF-OIR and the fight against ISIS since the start. The article listed offensive and defensive counter-air, escort of strike assets, and precision strikes among the F-22's mission sets.
It also said the F-22s were executing close air support over Mosul while waiting for joint terminal air controllers to pass targeting information, showing that the aircraft had become a flexible multi-role asset in the coalition campaign rather than a one-mission stealth fighter.
Sources: Victory in Mosul: 380th AEW Airmen provide vital Coalition support
