A US Air Force F-22 Raptor had to abort takeoff due to a tire blowout at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, according to images taken by a planespotter. 

The photos and video shared by @ma6400 on X.com show the F-22 coming to a stop after its left main landing gear tire exploded during the high-speed phase of the runway.  

The F-22 in question belongs to the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which deployed from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska in October 2024. This deployment includes Raptors alongside F-16 fighters from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. The goal is to strengthen US air superiority in the Pacific as older F-15C Eagle jets based at Kadena are gradually retired. 

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