A U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender refuels an F-35A Lightning II above an undisclosed location, April 30, 2019. The KC-10 and its crew were tasked to support aerial refueling operations for the F-35A’s first air interdiction during its inaugural deployment to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s area of responsibility.
The US Air Force carried out its first ever airstrike with the F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter on an ISIS tunnel and weapons cache in Iraq on April 30th.
Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) announced on April 30th that two Lightning II stealth jets were used to conduct an “airstrike using a Joint Direct Attack Munition to strike an entrenched tunnel network and a weapons cache” belonging to the Islamic State deep in the Hamrin Mountains in northeast Iraq.
The operation, conducted in Wadi Ashai, Iraq, was meant to thwart a buildup of munitions and forces that could threaten coalition fighters in the area, according to an AFCENT news release.
“We have the ability to gather, fuse and pass so much information, that we make every friendly aircraft more survivable and lethal,” said Lt. Col. Yosef Morris, 4th Fighter Squadron commander and F-35A pilot. “That, combined with low-observable technology, allows us to really complement any combined force package and be ready to support AOR contingencies.”
The F-35As were deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah to the Combined Forces Air Component team in the U.S. Central Command area of operations on April 15th.
“The F-35A provides our nation air dominance in any threat,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said at the time of the deployment. “When it comes to having a ‘quarterback’ for the coalition joint force, the interoperable F-35A is clearly the aircraft for the leadership role.”
Prior to their first combat mission, the F-35A’s successfully passed two Red Flag exercises.
“We have been successful in two Red Flag exercises, and we’ve deployed to Europe and Asia,” said Morris. “Our Airmen are ready and we’re excited to be here.” Red Flag is the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise which includes U.S. and allied nations’ combat air forces.
“This jet is smarter, a lot smarter, and so it can do more, and it helps you out more when loading munitions,” said Staff Sgt. Karl Tesch, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons technician.
“The F-35A has sensors everywhere, it has advanced radar, and it is gathering and fusing all this information from the battlespace in real time,” said Morris. “Now it has the ability to take that information and share it with other F-35s or even other fourth generation aircraft in the same package that can also see the integrated picture.”
This marked the 3rd deployment of the F-35A, the first two being by Israel and the US Marine Corps.
Israel became the first country to use its F-35s in combat, in May 2018 it was reported that its fifth-generation fighter jets took part in two airstrikes in Syria.
In February 2019, the Marine Corps’ F-35B flew its first mission and bombed Taliban and ISIS targets while deployed on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex.
Earlier in April, it was reported that the Marine Corps were creating “mini” carrier strike groups with the F-35s.
“We’re definitely changing the way amphibs are employed, especially on the blue side — we’re no longer just the trucks that carry Marines that we used to be,” explained Lt. Cmdr. David Mahoney, Amphibious Squadron 1 Operations Officer, USNI News reported.
-So when is Syrian Airforce going to receive ACTUAL radars intended for S-300PM2? All they have are old standard radars for the original S-300P first releasted in the late 1970’s! -Not to mention the S-300’s that Syria have only came with short and medium range missiles such as 5V55R and 5V55K which have range of 30-70km ONLY! -They don’t have the long range 48N6 and 48N6E2 Missiles with 150-200km range! -And the Syrians don’t even have FULL control of S-300 batteries YET -SAA need to be equipped with long range S-300 missiles, newest radars, NEBO, and given 100% control ASAP
I suggest if you are that worry about syrias radars to place directly your questions to the russians. As for F35 it is scrap metal the moment it rolls out of the factory. No worries as you can see.
exactly, clearly the S-300 fiesta was a distraction to fulfill Syrians needs… but they’re not getting the full benefit and the full control of it… We wont see very good performance and effectiveness by Syrian Air Defense until they’re given the proper 100% control and equipment for S-300PM2
According to whom.
We don’t know exactly what the Russian intentions were when they gave Syria the S-300. I would suspect that the Russian intention was deterrence hoping that their presence would be enough to keep Israeli from attacking Syria.
I can’t imagine that a full blown war between Syria and Israel would be in Russia’s best interest, in fact if anything Russia would want to wind down hostilities instead of pouring gasoline on the region by giving the Syrians the means to shoot down Israeli aircraft in Israeli airspace. While we would all cheer the shooting down of Israeli aircraft that attack Syria, escalating this conflict only benefits arms dealers and plays into the US / Israeli hawks hands. It costs the Russians money, endangers their service men and just piles more misery on the Syrian people.
Even though the Russians blamed the Israeli’s it was a Syrian SAM that shot down the Russian IL-20 I would suspect the Russians are being very careful with their training of Syrian operators as these missiles can target their fighters and attack aircraft operating in Syrian airspace.
You dont know what kind of radar or missile have the S-300 which have been supplied to Syria…second…Syria will use S-300 in the moment that Israel begin to attack SAA troops, ships or air bases…now Israel only attack warehouse/depot during night to avoid casualties…and Syrian AD operators need to train their skill..
I’m sure all that stealth came in handy there….. :’) Dumb PR is dumb. If you use a method to do something that’s several more times expensive than the other options you are just being dumb.
or an american… for them the show always must go on or the shit catch up with them.
Yup, for $1000 they could have infected a goat with AIDS and even made $15 back by selling it to them. That would have actually wiped them out in 10 years.
“That, combined with low-observable technology, allows us to really complement any combined force package and be ready to support AOR contingencies.”
So $25 million to drop a few JDAMs in a cave? That’s a damn expensive way to use my US tax ‘contributions’ to mow the ISIS grass. How about this? Level Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to stop the spread of Wahhabi-inspired terrorism. Might as well take out Doha, too, to stop Qatar’s alt-Salafi headchopper financing. Break off all relations with Israel and end aid to them. Then chopper six shoeless Houthis (and a bale of khat) to that f’king cave. They’ll have the dead head-choppers stacked like cord wood outside the cave in a few days. They’ll probably do it for, oh… $50 each (and the khat). They can buy their kids that prosthetic leg they always wanted.
Good to know the F-35 was able to evade ISIS radar and ADA.
Lol.