BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:10 P.M.) – Israel’s new F-35I Adir fighter jet ((AKA “Mighty Ones) is unlike any stealth warplane ever seen as it was specifically modified to cater to the IAF’s needs, a report from the National Interest publication said last week.
According to the report, the Israeli F-35I will possess two different external fuel tanks to extend the jet’s range, with the first one being a 425-gallon underwing tank made by the subsidiary Elbit.
“These could be dropped when approaching enemy airspace (the pylons holding the drop tanks would reportedly detach as well so as not to compromise stealth), or used for missions in which stealth isn’t necessary,” the National Interest claimed.
“The IAI wants to co-develop with Lockheed bolt-on conformal fuel tanks which “hug” the F-35 airframe so as not to compromise stealth and aerodynamics,” they continued.
Israel has already put their F-35 stealth jets to the test during a bombing mission in northern Syria last May.
The Israeli Air Force bombed an Iranian base near the Aleppo Governorate town of Al-Safira on May 9th, 2018, shocking many in Damascus as it was not detected by their air defenses throughout the mission.
Israel’s use of the F-35 in northern Syria marked the first time that any country had used the warplane in a combat mission.
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