HAGATNA, Guam, July 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force deployed five of its F-22 Raptors from Alaska to Guam to take part in exercises to defend the airspace there, officials said Thursday.

The fighters were dispatched in support of Operation Jungle Shield, which defends the airspace of Guam, and Operation Noble Eagle, a North American Aerospace Defense Command plan enacted in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The F-22 Raptor missions will conduct offensive escort missions designed to clear the airspace in front of a military strike package, the U.S. Air Force said Thursday. The mission is intended to provide the strike package with the opportunity to conduct attacks on targets without incident.

USAF officials said the F-22 is especially suited for such a mission because of its ability to strike surface-to-air missile batteries "with extreme accuracy."

The missions will also display the ability of the F-22 to deploy to specified regions in order to establish air dominance, the Air Force report said.