The US Air Force's F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets were used in their first-ever combat mission during airstrikes against Syria, Julian E. Barnes and Dion Nissenbaum report for The Wall Street Journal.

The F-22, America's most advanced aircraft, was likely used because of the aircraft's high maneuverability and the sophistication of Syria's air defense system (which is being bolstered by the Iranians).

"Because of its speed and ability to fly at high altitudes, the F-22 can drop guided bombs from much further away than F/A-18s or F-16 fighter planes," WSJ reports. "According to the Air Force, the F-22 can drop a 1,000-pound guided bomb from 15 miles away from the target."

The F-22 was a natural choice of aircraft for carrying out the bombing run in Syria. The plane is technically a fifth-generation fighter, meaning that it is a stealth jet that can take part in a range of multi-role activities.

The F-22 can be equipped with pairs of GPS-guided bombs, as well as AIM-120s Amraam and AIM-9s Sidewinder missiles. Until this airstrike, the F-22 has been kept out of direct military engagements due to the absence of foes requiring the use of a fifth-generation fighter and the toll it can take on pilots.

The F-22's "supermaneuverability" and turning radius of the plane has led to pilots having breathing problems while operating the plane. At least one Air Force general has said that the plane may simply be too much for human physiology to handle.

The US and a coalition of regional allies carried out the airstrikes in Syria against the ISIS stronghold and de facto capital of Raqqa. US forces also carried out unilateral strikes against an al Qaeda enclave in northwestern Syria that was carrying out "imminent attack plotting" against American interests, according to the White House.

David Cenciotti at The Aviationist has everything you need to know about the F-22.