“The F-35 has often been criticized for its high cost, but the victory over Iran’s air defense proved its effectiveness, experts say.”, — write: www.unian.ua
The F-35 has often been criticized for its high cost, but the victory over Iran’s air defense proved its effectiveness, experts say.
F-35 performed well in battle / photo – wikimedia.orgNot so long ago, the F-35 stealth fighter managed to defeat Iranian air defense. This underscores its ability to deal with higher-level threats, Business Insider reported.A senior British military officer told reporters last week that when Israel used its F-35s to retaliate against Iran in late October, it managed to destroy almost all of Tehran’s air defenses and hit missile factories. According to him, the fighter was created for such missions.
The publication noted that the F-35 was previously used only against weak targets with limited or no air defense. Israeli fighter jets had to contend with powerful Russian-made anti-aircraft missile systems. However, they showed themselves excellently in battle.
Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Mark Gunzinger told reporters that without the F-35, the mission would likely be much riskier. He added that this fighter can perform the functions of a bomber.
“The capabilities of the F-35 are not a theory, but a reality. And now they have been proven in combat with the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile batteries, which were called the answer to stealth,” Gunzinger emphasized.
His words are confirmed by RAND Corporation licensed engineer Michael Boehnert, who mentioned in an interview with the publication that the F-35 was designed to replace existing fighters, including the F-117, F-16 and F/A-18.
“The F-35 is a great aircraft that was created in the 1990s in the spirit of Pax Americana,” he said.
It is noted that Israel operates a sub-variant of the F-35A model, which is intended for the Air Force. In 2018, the first combat flight of this fighter was carried out, after which the US military began to operate it in missions throughout the Middle East.
The publication believes that the most daring mission of the F-35 fighter jet took place in late October, when Israel struck Iran in response to a large-scale missile attack by Tehran earlier in the month.
“Israel used more than 100 aircraft carrying less than 100 munitions, and not a single aircraft came closer than 100 miles (161 km – UNIAN) to the target in the first wave, and this destroyed almost all of Iran’s air defense system,” Admiral Tony told reporters. Radakin, Chief of the Defense Staff of Great Britain.
He also responded to the words of billionaire Elon Musk, who said that the F-35 does not have stealth capabilities. Radakin stated that the fighter is superior to many of its competitors.
The publication reminded that the F-35 also has some problems. In particular, the fighter program is facing rising costs and production problems.
F-35 – the latest newsEarlier, UNIAN reported that F-35 fighter jets intercepted three Russian planes over the Baltic Sea. According to the statement, two multirole fighter jets that have been monitoring NATO airspace on the eastern border since early December made their first interceptions from Estonia.
In addition, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, sharply criticized the latest F-35 fighter. According to him, this very expensive plane has a “controversial design”.
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