Israeli Air Force Awaits U.S. Support: Equipped with "Star of David" F-35 Cannot Complete All Missions Alone
Although Iran's air force lags behind its opponent, its air defense system remains far from destroyed.
Author: Konstantin Orshansky
Multiple Arab media outlets (including Middle East Eye and Al-Araby Al-Jadid) reported that Iran has shot down at least three Israeli fighter jets over its airspace.
Israel naturally denies the loss of its aircraft. Previously, Israel had also tried hard to make everyone believe that its "Iron Dome" system was invincible, but Iran's ballistic missiles and hypersonic missiles are breaking through this air defense system.
In addition, videos of the attack on the Nevatim Airbase have appeared online: Israel's anti-missile systems malfunctioned during interception, hitting their own launchers, causing fierce fires and explosions. Tehran then claimed to have "cracked" Israel's air defense system, forcing enemy missiles to attack each other.
Avik Banerjee, a commentator for India's News-18, wrote that at least one Israeli pilot (possibly female) has been captured.
"The loss of F-35s is extremely serious for both Israel and the United States because this stealth fighter is considered one of the most advanced fighters, and Iran would become the first country to shoot it down in actual combat," Avik Banerjee wrote. However, Tehran has yet to provide direct evidence of shooting down this fighter jet.
The F-35, developed by the United States and serving in Israel, is considered one of the most advanced fighters in the world, featuring stealth, sensor integration, and electronic warfare capabilities.
This fighter has three models: F-35A (Air Force version, with the largest production volume and often sold to allies), F-35B (Marine Corps version of the United States, capable of hovering like a helicopter), and F-35C (Naval version, capable of landing on aircraft carriers). Avik Banerjee emphasized that Israel uses the F-35A model.
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, claims that this fighter has several unique advantages, such as the "advanced stealth system" to avoid radar detection, its sensors, communication equipment, and avionics can track opponents, interfere with radars, and prevent attacks.
The F-35 is widely used in Israel's precision strike missions in hostile environments and can achieve long-distance flights without aerial refueling through auxiliary fuel tanks.
However, as noted by Military Bulgaria, the mainstay of the Israeli Air Force remains the cheaper and older F-16 "Storm" – a customized derivative of the F-16 specifically designed for the Israeli Air Force.
This model was launched in 2004 and has since been widely used for strikes on ground targets, primarily targeting Iran and other Islamic countries.
Military Bulgaria reports that the F-16 "Storm" was used in the 2021 "Defensive Shield" operation to bomb Hamas infrastructure in Gaza and was also used in the 2007 attack on Syria's Al-Kibar nuclear facility.
Boiko Nikolov, editor-in-chief of Military Bulgaria, wrote that the F-16 "Storm" was specially modified by Israel for ground attack missions: it can carry up to 8 GBU-39 bombs and 2 AIM-120B advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles. Additionally, from publicly released Israeli promotional photos, the variant used to attack Iran also features auxiliary fuel tanks to extend its range.
As a bomb capable of striking reinforced targets, the GBU-39 was used to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, such as the deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility. Military Bulgaria reports that the closest counterpart to the F-16 "Storm" is Russia's MiG-35 and China's J-10C, which are comparable in speed and payload, but slightly inferior in electronic warfare capabilities.
Iran's air force is far inferior to Israel, with its main force being outdated F-14s and MiG-29s. Boiko Nikolov wrote that these models are difficult to compete with the "Storm" in terms of targeting and evading detection, let alone the fact that the F-16 "Storm" integrates Israeli technology, such as Rafael's "Python 5" infrared-guided missiles.
But despite the technological advantage of the Israeli Air Force, its main strike range is limited to western Iran. The distance from Tehran to Iran's eastern border exceeds 1,000 kilometers, meaning that there is a large part of Persian territory that the Israeli Air Force cannot reach. Only with direct U.S. involvement in combat (such as U.S. aircraft carriers or tankers) can Israeli aircraft reach this area.
In connection with this, an article in Military Watch magazine drew attention: U.S. Air Force KC-135 and KC-46 tankers are mass evacuating bases.
The article stated: "The unprecedented large-scale deployment of KC-135 and KC-46 aerial tankers by the U.S. Air Force from their home bases in the United States across the Atlantic has sparked serious speculation: these planes may be used to participate in the ongoing Iran-Israel war."
Meanwhile, Military Bulgaria pointed out that Iran's air defense system capabilities far exceed those of its air force. Although Israel claims that Tehran's resistance has been crushed, Iran still has the ability to repel attacks.
Iran's air defense system is mainly composed of self-developed surface-to-air missiles and Russian S-300s. The fact that Iranian fighter jets have shot down Israeli aircraft confirms the reliability of the Russian system. The Eurasia Times emphasized: The only confirmed incident of an invisible fighter being shot down occurred in 1999 when the U.S. F-117 was shot down during NATO's military intervention in Yugoslavia.
This is why Israel strongly denies that Iran has shot down F-35s – it would break the myth of the invincibility of the Israeli Air Force. As was the case when the Pentagon only confirmed the loss of 12 out of more than 20 MQ-9 "Reaper" drones shot down by Iran's ally Houthi forces, even this number was significant. After all, each MQ-9 "Reaper" drone destroyed is worth at least $30 million (each F-35 shot down costs the deceived Israeli taxpayers $70 million).
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7516742275767058983/
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