The IDF significantly upgraded the ability of Israel’s F-35 squadrons to play a critical role in a strike on Iran. The latest updates suggest that the stealth aircraft may be used to bomb Tehran’s heavily fortified nuclear sites.
The Air Force practiced this year for the first time strike operations by F-35s armed with bunker-busting bombs, Channel 14 News reported.
The southern Israel simulation was successful, making Israel the second country in the world after the US to acquire this capability. The report said that the Air Force armed the fighter jets with advanced JDAM-84 munitions.
The IDF can mobilize an entire F-35 squadron within minutes, a senior officer told The Jerusalem Post earlier this year. The jets can fly via Iraqi airspace to knock out Iranian air defenses, the report said.
However, the latest info indicates that F-35 planes may be used to directly attack Iran’s nuclear sites.
F-35s get Israeli upgrades
The IDF also upgraded its F-35s with Israeli technology and weapons systems. This includes advanced sensors and powerful munitions, Walla News reported. Israel was also working on fitting the planes with new electronic warfare systems.
Israeli F-35s can also be armed with extra bombs inside the aircraft to enable the aircraft to attack more targets, the report said.
Israel’s upgrades turned the cutting-edge fighter jet into a “strike and intelligence collection monster,” according to defense officials familiar with its classified capabilities. The report also confirmed that Israel is significantly extending the the F-35’s operational range by installing new fuel tanks.
Meanwhile, as Israel’s air power grows, the IDF is also building a huge stockpile of munitions for an all-out war with Iran and its regional proxies.
Israel’s F-35 pilots train in US
On another front, Israel also intensified joint training with the US to boost the operational capabilities and strike readiness of F-35s. The stealth jets participated in a US Red Flag exercise to practice a joint strike on Iran, N12 News reported.
Israeli pilots used the drill to simulate flights into hostile zones saturated with air defenses, the report said. The Air Force specifically trained for eluding Russian systems and aircraft, N12 said.
Earlier reports indicated that Iran boosted its defenses around key sites, including the Fordow nuclear facility, for fear of an Israeli strike. Tehran claimed that it is also upgrading its Bavar-373 air defense system.
However, some observers and experts say that Iran’s claims are exaggerated, and that Tehran will struggle to block Israeli strikes on strategic Iranian sites. [Here’s a detailed report: Can Iran’s air defenses stop the Israeli Air Force?]
