Iran freaked out: How an F-22 Raptor flew undetected under the Iranian fighter jet

Summary and key points you need to know: In November 2012 and again in 2013, Iranian fighter jets attempted to attack U.S. MQ-1 Predator drones flying near Iranian airspace. In the first incident, two Iranian Su-25s failed to shoot down the drone.

– A year later, when Iranian F-4 Phantoms attempted to attack another MQ-1, they were intercepted by a stealth F-22 Raptor, which surprised the Iranian pilots by stopping alongside them and advising them to leave the area.

– The incident highlighted tensions between the United States and Iran, especially as both countries are engaged in sensitive nuclear negotiations.

Drone drama: How an F-22 Raptor thwarted Iran's attempt to shoot down a US Predator

In November 2012, two Sukhoi Su-25s of the Iranian Air Force attempted to shoot down a US Air Force MQ-1 Predator drone. At the time, the MQ-1 was flying in international airspace, 25 kilometers from the Iranian border. The drone flight was legal but understandably a provocation. Iran alerted the two Su-25s, which quickly approached the drone. But the Su-25 was designed for close air support, not air superiority, and its cannons had no chance of shooting down the MQ-1.

The American drone escaped unscathed, as it had filmed the entire sequence with onboard cameras. In response to the incident, the US changed its procedures to better protect its vulnerable drone fleet. It began escorting drones with fighter jets.

A year later, in 2013, the Iranians – apparently unaware of this new US drone escort policy – attacked another MQ-1. This time, the Iranians sent a fighter aircraft with air-to-air capabilities, the F-4 Phantom – an aircraft that the US exported to Iran in the 1970s when the two countries were still allies. Unlike the Su-25, the F-4 was quite capable of shooting down the MQ-1. But when the Iranian F-4s went to attack the MQ-1, they found they were not alone.

The MQ-1 was accompanied silently by a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor – a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. As the Iranian pilots learned that day, the F-22 “is equipped with stealth technology that allows it to operate virtually undetected by radar.”

Iran, F-4 and the F-22 Raptor stealth aircraft

In fact, the Iranians did not notice the presence of the F-22 as it pursued them from below.

This aircraft is packed with enviable cutting-edge technology. “The F-22 Raptor is a technological marvel,” I noted earlier.

“The F-22, the world's first operational fifth-generation fighter, was designed with a number of novel features – stealth technology, supercruise, supermaneuverability and sensor fusion – that combine to create the preeminent air superiority fighter.”

The Iranians, flying Vietnam-era F-4 Phantoms, were not adequately equipped to take on an F-22. Granted, the F-4 was a capable aircraft—the most produced American supersonic military aircraft of all time—but its first flight was in 1958. The F-22, on the other hand, was a modern marvel of the 21st century.

“The F-22’s software is advanced and impressive. It uses sensor fusion to synthesize data from multiple onboard sensor systems to create a more comprehensive tactical picture,” I explained a few years ago.

Furthermore, the F-4 was not designed for dogfighting. “The Phantom was not particularly maneuverable,” I explained in an earlier article about the F-4. “Enemy MiGs could usually outrun the F-4, which was not designed for dogfighting and suffered from adverse yaw in tight turns. Instead, the F-4 was designed to launch radar-guided missiles beyond visual range, not for dogfighting maneuvers.”

Well, the F-22 was conveniently within sight: it was directly below the Iranians.

The F-22 pilot had sneaked into the plane unnoticed. “He flew under their planes to check their weapons load without them knowing he was there,” said then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. After noticing the F-4's load, the Raptor pilot finally alerted the Iranians to his presence.

He “pulled up to their left wing, called them and said, 'You really should go home,'” Welsh said. The F-4s obeyed and took off.

The incident is indicative of the tensions that have characterized relations between the United States and Iran since the late 1970s. Both sides are currently working on a deal on Iran's nuclear program that is reportedly close to a breakthrough and has made Iran an international pariah. The world is watching closely as negotiations unfold. In the meantime, the two rival nations can hopefully avoid further dogfights.

Author Biography: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense editor with over 1,000 published articles. He is a lawyer, pilot, guitarist and professional hockey player and joined the U.S. Air Force as a pilot candidate but was medically discharged. Harrison holds degrees from Lake Forest College, the University of Oregon School of Law and New York University's Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. He lives in Oregon and listens to Dokken regularly. Email the author: [email protected].

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