The F-35 Lightning II fighter jet has played a crucial role in both the US and Israel’s strikes in the ongoing Iran war. Is it reshaping global power in the skies?
Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran began last Saturday, one aircraft has played a critical and lethal role: the F-35 Lightning II, otherwise known as the F-35. The “F” stands for “Fighter” and the 35 signifies its place in the US military’s aircraft designation.
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Described by US President Donald Trump as “like an almost invisible fighter”, the F-35 is designed to evade radar detection thanks to radar-absorbing paint and materials.
This means the aircraft can deploy a deadly array of smart bombs, cluster bombs and precision guided missiles undetected - and from up to 400km away.
The aircraft also combines data from its onboard radar, cameras, and electronic sensors into a single integrated system to keep its pilot one step ahead.
This cutting-edge technology has made the fighter jet extremely effective at destroying Iranian air defences and securing air dominance, allowing other aircraft to attack unimpeded.
The plane has been widely used by both the US and Israel in more than 3,000 strikes on Iran since 28 February, which have resulted in the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a number of top Iranian commanders.
What are F-35's top features?
Produced by the preeminent US defence company, Lockheed Martin, it’s a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter plane capable of air-to-air, ground-attack, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
In other words, it is one of the most advanced aircraft in the world, capable of reaching speeds of up to roughly 2,000 kilometres per hour (Mach 1.6) and flying up to 50,000 feet. It has a range of up to 2,200 kilometres.
The US F-35 fleet comprises more than 600 aircraft in total, with many taking off at present from allied military bases across the Middle East and from aircraft carriers USS Gerald Ford in the Mediterranean and USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Israel is deploying a further 48.
The plane, which entered service in 2015, costs between €80-120 million US dollars, depending on the version, with 3 currently available (A, B and C). The A version is designed for conventional runways and deep-strike operations, B for vertical take-off, and C for operation from aircraft carriers.
Who else uses the F-35?
The F-35 is extremely popular with NATO and US allies, including the UK, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Greece and Romania.
The aircraft is also equipped with advanced software and military systems, allowing it to share real-time battlefield data with other aircraft and forces.
These systems, however, rely on US software and security systems to operate and on supply chains to maintain them. A rumour emerged that if the US decides it no longer wants to work with other countries that use F-35s, it can disable their access to the software, rendering that country’s F-35 fleet ineffective.
However, following speculation regarding remote shutdowns, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) stated, "There is no kill switch".
Recent rancour between Trump and European leaders, including disagreements over Ukraine, Venezuela, Greenland and now Iran, has made some Europeans wary of purchasing the aircraft.
Spain, for example, abandoned plans to buy a fleet of F-35s last August, while the high costs of operating an F-35 fleet also put off Portugal and Switzerland.
The main competitor to the F-35 is the faster and more agile Eurofighter Typhoon used by Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and the UK, which has recently deployed an additional four to defend Qatar from Iranian attacks.
On 4 March, an Israeli F-35 downed an Iranian YAK-130 in the first aircraft in air-to-air combat kill for the fighter jet.
In June last year, Iran claimed to have shot down two Israeli F-35s during the 12-day conflict, a claim which turned out to be false.