As of early 2026, the F-22 Raptor has a small number of confirmed "kills," though for many years it was famous for having zero air-to-air combat victories despite being the world's premier air-superiority fighter. Its most high-profile "kill" occurred in February 2023, when an F-22 from the 1st Fighter Wing shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina using an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile. Shortly thereafter, F-22s were credited with shooting down two more unidentified "objects" over Alaska and the Yukon Territory. In terms of traditional manned aircraft, the F-22 has not yet engaged in a "dogfight" with a hostile enemy fighter jet, largely because its presence alone acts as a massive deterrent. However, the aircraft has seen extensive combat use in a ground-attack and electronic warfare role during Operation Inherent Resolve over Syria and Iraq. In those theaters, it used its advanced sensors to act as a "quarterback" for other jets and conducted precision strikes against ISIS ground targets using GPS-guided JDAM bombs, proving its versatility beyond just air-to-air dominance.