Israel prepares F-35s for potential mission in Iran
Shephard Defence Insight has estimated the F35I Adir to have a flyaway unit cost of US$102 million. (Photo: IAI)
The threat of Iranian nuclear weapons has led Israel to make changes to its F-35s while Russian actions in Syria have acted as a catalyst for action in developing anti-jamming systems.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has been preparing its F-35s for possible attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, according to sources in Israel.
Last week, Ali-Akbar Salehi, the former head of Iran’s nuclear agency, implied in remarks broadcast on Iranian state television that Iran had everything it required to construct a nuclear bomb.
The changes made by the IAF to its F-35s were behind the decision to perform heavy maintenance in Israel rather than send the stealth aircraft to a European maintenance centre. The changes being made have the intention of making the stealth aircraft more capable should Israel decide to
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![India’s rotary-wing capability gap grows as IMRH programme delays persist]()
India’s rotary-wing capability gap grows as IMRH programme delays persist
With IMRH and DBMRH potentially years from service, India faces a widening rotary-wing capability gap that could drive further foreign purchases even as HAL and Safran build the foundations of an indigenous successor.
-
![AFA 2026: Swarm Aero eyes 2027 Gamera flight as Textron/Merlin reveal SkyCourier UX]()
AFA 2026: Swarm Aero eyes 2027 Gamera flight as Textron/Merlin reveal SkyCourier UX
Two new uncrewed aircraft concepts target very different US military requirements, from massed long-range strike to autonomous logistics. Shephard spoke with executives from Swarm Aero, Textron Aviation and Merlin Labs at this year's AFA Air, Space & Cyber conference to learn more about their capabilities.
