DoD Officials Erred About Weapons, Fighters Used in Syria Strike Mission

The F-22 Raptor did have a role in the Syria strike after all, and the extended range version of the Joint-Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range wasn't used, according to new statements from U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

The stealth fighter was providing overwatch for U.S. and partner troops on the ground while the U.S., U.K. and France were launching strikes on chemical weapons facilities in western Syria, officials said.

Meanwhile, the JASSMs used in the April 14 strikes "were, in fact, not JASSM Extended Range (JASSM-ER) munitions, [but] rather, the munitions used were JASSM-A, or the standard, non-extended range versions of the munition," AFCENT spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said Thursday.

The use of 19 JASSMs still marked the first operational use of any variant of the missile, Graff said.

AFCENT officials said that they wanted to correct the record after Military.com asked the command earlier this week about the F-22 missing out completely on the high-profile operation.

Lt. Col Damien Pickart, also an AFCENT spokesman, originally told Military.com on Monday the Air Force's premier fifth-generation fighter was not flying alongside a pair of B-1B Lancer bombers that dropped missiles on the Syrian targets, nor was it in the area.

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