War in the Air? Israel Bets its New F-35s Tame Iran’s Thirst for Battle

Apache Attack Helos& B-21 Stealth Bombers Could Share Raytheon Common Computing

By Kris Osborn – Warrior Maven

(Washington D.C.) Three Israeli F-35s have landed in Israel as part of a clear effort by the country to greatly expand its 5th-Gen warfare capability and potentially further deter or hold off threats from Iran. 

Called F-35 “Adir” jets, the new planes add to the existing line up of 5th-Gen fighter jets either stationed in the Middle East or in close enough proximity to perform operations if called upon. While much of the U.S. and global focus has shifted from counterterrorism to great power warfare preparation, asymmetrical threats are by no means entirely disappearing from the radar. 

The F-35, for instance, was used to attack Taliban targets in Afghanistan in recent years, the 5th-Gen aircraft continues to expand its Close Air Support mission envelope to add ground attack capability in closer proximity to maneuvering ground troops. Given this growing mission scope for the F-35, the new Israeli aircraft may be well suited to take on additional missions in the Middle East where counterterrorismprecision targeting or counterinsurgency Close Air Support might be needed. Therefore, while F-35s are likely to enjoy air supremacy in most places throughout the Middle East, it still brings added tactical value should there be a need for CAS or various kinds of covert air attacks and precision strikes. This would prove quite relevant in the event of another ISIS-type threat or emerging terrorist training camp which might need to be eliminated from the air should there be moving targets. There does appear to be an extremely pertinent and impactful tactical reason to operate F-35s in CAS, given the aircraft’s ability to use its speed, 25mm cannon and lower-to-ground maneuverability to elude incoming enemy ground fire. At the same time, there is also emerging consensus that some kind of non 5th-Gen light attack plane specifically configured for counterinsurgency. However, the particular blend of ISR and attack potential woven into an F-35 may bring an entirely new generation of integrated CAS because incoming video and targeting data could almost instantly be merged with weapons applications and close-in attack. 

Thelargest overall impact of additional F-35s in Israel, however, may be when it comes to deterrent Iran. Iran is among a handful of nations known to operate Russian-built S-400 air defenses which would likely need stealth bombers or fighter jets attacks to establish air superiority. Iran is also believed to operate some F-14 Tomcats, dual-seat Navy fighters now retired by the U.S. These planes, or other Iranian aircraft would need to be destroyed in the air, something F-35s or F-22s would be well positioned to accomplish. 

Iran’s nuclear ambitions, still of great concern regardless of whether some kind of U.S.-Iranian cooperative deal is reached, might need to be kept in check with the threat of stealthy 5th-Gen precision air strikes able to destroy facilities or transport vehicles looking to move nuclear material. Unlike a ship-fired Tomahawk or precision land missile, a maneuvering air asset such as an F-35 might be uniquely equipped to track and destroy moving targets in the event Iran seeks to maneuver troops, mobile launchers, weapons or even nuclear materials. 

The Isreali military continues to engineer new external fuel tanks for its specially configured “Adir” variant of the F-35, an aircraft tailored by the country for unique mission sets particular to address the kinds of enemy threats their forces are likely to encounter. Simply put, extra fuel tanks can of course massively extend strike range and multiply combat options for Israel, should it be confrontedwith an operational need to attack enemies at greater distances than an F-35 could normally reach.