Meet the F-35, the combat plane that the US will send to Israel

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, popularly known as the F-35, is a stealth supersonic multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin in a program with the United States Department of Defense.

F-35 fighters are among the war equipment to be sent by the US to Israel.

The total cost of developing the aircraft reached US$250 billion (approximately R$1.25 billion) between 2002 and 2006. The value of a single unit is approximately US$80 million (R$400 million).

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Following attacks by the Hamas terrorist group on Israel, a US Navy aircraft carrier strike group is on its way to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The country is also taking measures to reinforce the presence of fighters in the region, including squadrons of F-35, F-15, F-16 and A-10 aircraft.

The warplane, however, was used for the first time in a combat mission only in 2018.

“We attacked twice in the Middle East using the F-35, we are the first in the world to do this”, stated, in 2018, the head of the Israeli air force at the time, Amikam Norkin.

Shortly after Israel, in September 2018, the United States Marine Corps attacked Taliban targets in Afghanistan. This was the first time the United States used an F-35 in combat.

F-35 weapons

The F-35’s primary purpose is to conduct operations in hostile territory and this requires the plane to survive any missiles that may be coming its way.

This requires stealth, and the F-35 carries its weapons internally to maintain that advantage.

The F-35 is equipped with medium-range missiles, capable of firing beyond visual range. With this armament, the pilot is capable of operating in any type of weather condition, both in day and night operations.

The missile has a semi-active radar that allows pilots to see enemy aircraft at extreme distances and move away before they are threatened. This, coupled with the plane’s stealth capabilities and advanced sensor suite, means the F-35 can shoot down enemy aircraft without ever being detected.