Chris Gordon

.@ByChrisGordon, my regular Twitter account, lives.

Around a dozen F-22s arrived in the Middle East from Alaska today. The earlier relocation of F/A-18s to a regional base is temporary and the jets will return to USS Theodore Roosevelt before it departs Middle East in roughly a week. U.S. officials tell me: airandspaceforces.com/f-22s-land-in-…

For those who recently followed me here, X support—after a few nonsensical responses—decided @ByChrisGordon is back.

The Pentagon has attributed today’s rocket attack on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq to an Iranian-aligned militia. airandspaceforces.com/us-troops-inju…

Here's a look at where U.S. Navy ships are in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials.

President Biden schedule tomorrow includes 11am call with the King of Jordan, and a 2:15pm Situation Room meeting with his national security team to discuss developments in the Middle East.

A break from the people who have been following me for military news for a day. The @mountain_goats at @Wolf_Trap were absolutely brilliant.

‘A New Reality’: Ukraine Unveils Its First F-16 Fighters airandspaceforces.com/ukraine-unveil…

To support the increased number of fighters in the Middle East, the U.S. is deploying additional aerial refueling tankers. airandspaceforces.com/us-air-force-m…

@lrozen Living the dream.

👉🏼Follow US military reporter Chris Gordon here, folks (something happened to his old account)

We are now in a new phase of development for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We have done a lot to transition the Ukrainian Air Force to a new aviation standard – Western combat aviation. From the beginning of this war, we have been talking with our partners about the need to close the Ukrainian sky from Russian missiles and aircraft. We have held hundreds of meetings and negotiations to strengthen the capabilities of our aviation, air defense, and Defense Forces. We often heard the word "impossible" in response, but we made possible what was our ambition, our defense need, and now – it is a reality in our sky. F-16s in Ukraine. We ensured this. I am proud of all our guys who are skillfully mastering these aircraft and have already started using them for our country. I thank our team for this result. I thank all the partners who are truly helping with the F-16s, and the first countries that accepted our request for aircraft – Denmark, the Netherlands, the United States, – and all our partners, – we value your support. I wish our Air Force and all our warriors to feel the pride of Ukrainians in our combat aviation and to bring Ukraine the combat results that will bring our victory closer – our just peace for Ukraine.

@NAMREMF @ASForcesMag Yep. 335th FS. They were involved in the operation in April to defend Israel.

@ChrisGordonASF @ASForcesMag SJ = seymourjohnson.af.mil

F-22 Raptors are deploying to the Middle East, a person familiar with the mission told @ASForcesMag. F-22 squadron will add to US Air Force’s 3 existing combat aircraft squadrons in the Middle East. F-15Es, F-16s, and A-10s are already deployed to CENTCOM. airandspaceforces.com/us-air-force-m…

@Doha104p3 (I’m aware that’s an F-15 picture, X won’t update it. Speaking of X, this is not my usual account because X decide to break @ByChrisGordon for now.)

@Doha104p3 That’s true. “A U.S. Air Force fighter squadron consisting of stealthy F-22 Raptors is being dispatched to the region, a person familiar with the deployment told Air & Space Forces Magazine.” airandspaceforces.com/us-air-force-m…

@tomkins71 @sentdefender They come and go — in last few years usually in response to Iran, ie UAE. Don’t see regular F-22 deployments to Middle East anymore, but when something starts up. F-22s were there in mid-2023 because of Russians in Syria in too. So it’s unusual, but as you note they’ve done it.

@sentdefender F22s have been in the region for a while. They were very active against the attacks on the UAE 2 years ago.

According to the New York Times; the additional Squadron of Combat Aircraft that was Ordered to the Middle East yesterday by U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, is a Squadron of F-22 “Raptor” Stealth Fighters.

The F-22s are in addition to F-15Es, F-16s, and A-10s that had previously been deployed to the Middle East. airandspaceforces.com/us-air-force-m…

@ianellisjones Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed the deployment of F-22s. airandspaceforces.com/us-air-force-m…

NYT/@EricSchmittNYT reporting that an additional USAF Squadron of F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft will be deployed to the Middle East.

🚨 Breaking — new adjustments to U.S. force posture in the Middle East • Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (CSG) to replace the Theodore Roosevelt CSG • Additional cruisers & destroyers ordered to the U.S. European & Central Command AOR • Deployment of another fighter squadron to the Middle East, reinforcing defensive air support capability • Increased readiness to deploy more land-based ballistic missile defense if necessary “These posture adjustments add to the broad range of capabilities the U.S. military maintains in the region, including the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.” A few relevant clips from the Pentagon press briefing today, & thread with new map below.

A squadron of F-22 Raptors is being deployed to the Middle East, a person familiar with the mission told Air & Space Forces Magazine. airandspaceforces.com/us-air-force-m…

I am unable to login to my regular account @ByChrisGordon so I guess I’m hanging around here for now. I’m still the Pentagon Editor for @ASForcesMag. And I’m still—checks driver’s license—Chris Gordon.