The Economist highlighted an unusual detail from the recent U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska: Washington chose not to conceal its most secretive aircraft from the Russian delegation. Instead, four F-22 Raptor stealth fighters were deliberately positioned along the red carpet at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base, effectively serving as part of the honor guard for the arrival of the two presidents.

The display did not end there. As Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump stood on the runway, a U. S. Air Force B-2 strategic bomber flew overhead, accompanied by an escort of four single-engine F-35 fifth-generation fighters.

According to the magazine, the visibility of the F-22s was particularly striking, given the plane’s reputation for secrecy. The publication recalled that during a past military exercise, one of its journalists was required to seek clearance from the U. S. Air Force before publishing photographs of the aircraft.

After the summit concluded, the Russian president’s plane received a highly symbolic escort. American pilots assigned four F-22 Raptors to accompany Putin’s aircraft until it reentered Russian airspace.

The F-22 Raptor itself is a fifth-generation, multi-role stealth fighter powered by twin turbofan engines capable of supersonic flight without afterburners. It is equipped with an AN/APG-77 radar, integrated communications systems, a 20mm cannon, and up to eight air-to-air missiles.

The summit, held overnight in Anchorage, brought together delegations in a «three-on-three» format and lasted two hours and forty-five minutes. From the Russian side, President Putin was joined by aide Yuri Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The U.S. delegation included President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and presidential envoy Steven Witkoff.