Unusual F-22 deployment confirmed in US operation targeting Maduro

US military forces employed a limited number of F-22 Raptor fighters during the January 3 operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. US defense officials later confirmed that the aircraft have since completed their redeployment and returned to bases in the United States.

The operation, known as Absolute Resolve, combined special operations ground forces with a large joint air component that included more than 150 aircraft. Alongside the F-22s, the aerial package involved B-1B bombers, F-35 Lightning II fighters, and F/A-18 Super Hornets. Army special operations helicopters inserted the assault force into the Venezuelan capital after air defenses were degraded.

Roughly a dozen F-22s were assigned to the mission. Their role focused on air dominance and the suppression of potential aerial threats during the early phases of the operation, ensuring uncontested access to Venezuelan airspace.

The use of the Raptor was notable due to the aircraft’s primary mission as a continental air defense and air superiority platform rather than a routine participant in expeditionary strike operations.

Fixed-wing bombers and multirole fighters provided additional coverage, including standoff support, airspace control, and redundancy across multiple mission sets. The air campaign neutralized radar and missile systems along key approach corridors, allowing rotary-wing aircraft to operate without interference during the insertion and extraction phases.

Following the successful completion of the mission and the departure of US forces from Venezuelan airspace, the F-22s disengaged and redeployed to their home stations. The aircraft did not remain forward-based after the operation, consistent with the US Air Force’s practice of limiting extended overseas deployments of the type.

With fewer than 200 F-22s in active service, operational use outside the United States remains limited. Their participation in the Caracas operation stands out as one of the rare instances in which the aircraft supported a real-world combat mission beyond air policing or deterrence patrols.

About the Author

Ricardo Meier

Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.

Articles by the author »