US stealth fighter jets chased away 587 Russian and Iranian aircraft in Syrian airspace.

"During their six-month deployment in Syria, the F-22 squadron of the US 94th Air Wing conducted a total of 590 independent flights, accumulating 4,600 flight hours and dropping nearly 2 tons of bombs on insurgent targets."Business InsiderOn October 11, news outlets reported on a Pentagon statement following the squadron's return to the United States.

During this operation, US F-22 stealth fighters deployed in the Middle East also deterred and repelled 587 enemy aircraft over Syrian airspace, including fighter and attack aircraft from Russia, Syria, and Iran. The F-22 squadron also conducted its first three-day intensive combat operation, deploying stealth fighters at maximum frequency.

The Syrian battlefield is currently where US ground forces face the greatest threat from enemy air power. Therefore, F-22s are deployed to escort Navy F/A-18 fighters, protecting US soldiers and conducting airstrikes against Islamist rebel groups.

F-22 fighter jets also participated in airstrikes against the Syrian military in response to accusations that Damascus used chemical weapons. "The F-22 fighters flew deep into Syrian territory, confronting both enemy fighter squadrons and air defense missile systems as the U.S. coalition carried out the attack," the Pentagon emphasized.

The US Department of Defense also affirmed that no coalition aircraft were shot down during operations in Syria. Images captured during the most recent airstrike on Damascus showed that US air defenses fired indiscriminately because they were unable to detect the F-22s in operation.

The US began deploying F-22 stealth fighters in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to support its air campaign against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syrian territory starting in 2014.