Latest news with #F-35s
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Air Force Fighters Deploy To Reinforce Middle East
As the conflict between Israel and Iran continues, the U.S. Air Force is now in the process of deploying fighters to bases within the Middle East. The fighter movements follow the arrival in Europe of more than two-dozen U.S. Air Force KC-135R and KC-46A tankers that flew across from the United States in recent days, as you can read about here. Three unnamed U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters that the United States was deploying more fighters to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes already in the region. One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft. The U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes. Story coming. w/@idreesali114 U.S. officials stress the defensive nature of the deployment. — Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) June 17, 2025 In the latest move, the U.S. military is moving fighter jets to the Middle East and extending the deployment of warplanes to bolster defenses amid the Israel-Iran conflict, officials say. W/@phildstewart — Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) June 17, 2025 Today, flight-tracking software revealed at least 17 U.S. Air Force tankers heading south from bases in Europe, indicating that they are 'dragging' fighters to the Middle East. This was backed up by eyewitness sightings as well as air traffic control communications. As it stands today, at least 31 tankers have been noted heading across the Atlantic, based on publicly available flight-tracking data. Now 17 tankers moving east over Europe. — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) June 17, 2025 Previously, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on X that he 'directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility.' 'Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority, and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,' Hegseth added. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 16, 2025 Since Hegseth's comments yesterday, additional tankers have been noted on flight-tracking software leaving bases in the United States. These aircraft have been flying with 'GOLD' callsigns, typically used for Coronet flights that deploy fighters across the Atlantic or Pacific. There are indications that F-22s may be coming to the Middle East from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, while F-35s are likely drawn from either the Vermont Air National Guard — as suggested by tanker tacks in the vicinity — and/or RAF Lakenheath in England. Five additional tankers lifting and heading for the east routes. — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) June 17, 2025 Instagram user provided TWZ with photographs that show F-35s from Lakenheath heading south over the United Kingdom today, toward the Middle East. The stealth fighters were split into three flights of four, each supported by a KC-135 tanker, reportedly flying from RAF Mildenhall in England and Morón Air Base in Spain. As for the F-16s mentioned by one U.S. official, these may well involve the jets at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Reports of movements of some of these F-16s emerged today, based on sightings and air traffic control communications. When U.S. Air Force tankers began their migration across the Atlantic, we noted that one of the possible reasons was to prepare for the influx of additional major assets into the region, and especially fighters. At this point, this is very likely being done for contingency needs and to give the president multiple options, as we outlined in our previous feature on the tanker movements. Any involvement in the kinetic conflict remains pre-decisional, at least publicly. However, having all these assets in the region would allow the United States to respond in force if Iran attacks U.S. interests or if the administration decides to get involved directly. At the same time, the Air Force can use these fighters for shooting down drones and cruise missiles, something they have been doing in this theater for months now. In particular, the F-16s reportedly now being deployed to the Middle East have already been using APKWS IIs to down drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen since last year, which we were the first to report. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles played key roles in defending Israel from incoming missile and drone attacks last year. F-15Es recently saw their counter-drone capabilities, in particular, significantly expand through the addition of laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets to their available arsenal. Air Force F-16s in the Middle East had already been using APKWS IIs to down drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen since last year, which we were first to report. The movement of such large numbers of tankers could also indicate support for global airpower bomber missions from the United States to Iran and back, although there has been no sign of Air Force Global Strike Command involvement so far. As of today, Planet Labs satellite imagery reviewed by TWZ revealed that four B-52s and six F-15Es, plus other aircraft, were still at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. There has been speculation that the U.S. Air Force could use B-2 stealth bombers to assist Israel in its attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities. In particular, the deep-lying nuclear enrichment site at Fordow could require Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-buster bombs, designed to penetrate just this type of target, and only carried by the B-2. This is a scenario that we have repeatedly highlighted and discussed for many years. As well as the apparent deployment of U.S. Air Force fighters to the Middle East, a second aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Nimitz, was sent from East Asia toward the Middle East earlier this week, as you can read about in this previous article. It will join the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which is already operating relatively close to Iran, around the Arabian Sea. Already, U.S. Navy warships in the region are understood to have been helping shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles headed toward Israel. This is in addition to the U.S. Army Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense systems that have been helping defend Israel, too. This is a fast-developing story, and we will bring more updates when we have information about these highly unusual aircraft movements. Contact the author: thomas@
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
'$12 billion a month': The cost of Israel's daily strikes and defence against Iran - war at a premium
Israel is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each day in its escalating conflict with Iran, with the cost of interceptors, munitions, air operations, and infrastructure damage mounting rapidly, according to The Wall Street Journal. The daily military expenditure could run as high as $200 million just for missile interceptions, with broader operational costs and infrastructure damage driving that figure significantly higher. Experts estimate that rebuilding damage caused by Iranian missile strikes could alone cost Israel at least $400 million. Former Bank of Israel governor Karnit Flug warned that while the economy may absorb the costs of a short conflict, a prolonged war could be far more damaging. 'If it is a week, it is one thing,' she said. 'If it is two weeks or a month, it is a very different story.' The financial toll is being driven in large part by the heavy use of Israel's air defence systems. The David's Sling system, used to intercept short- and long-range threats, costs around $700,000 per activation when firing its minimum of two interceptors. The Arrow 3 system, designed to stop long-range ballistic missiles, costs around $4 million per interception, while Arrow 2 costs approximately $3 million, according to military analyst Yehoshua Kalisky. The conflict has seen more than 400 Iranian missiles fired at Israel in recent days, most of which required interception. The cost of deploying fighter jets—particularly F-35s—adds further pressure. Each hour of flight costs around $10,000 per aircraft. The cost of fuel, munitions like JDAMs and MK84s, and logistics for long-range missions all contribute to Israel's spiralling war bill. Zvi Eckstein, head of the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy, noted that 'per day, it is much more expensive than the war in Gaza or with Hezbollah,' citing the overwhelming burden of ammunition and interceptor usage. His institute estimates that a one-month war with Iran could cost Israel around $12 billion. Despite the sharp military spending, Israel's economy has not entered recession. However, disruptions are widespread. Civilian life has slowed, with many businesses—including restaurants—closed, and only essential workers reporting to duty. The country's main international airport was shut for several days before partially reopening for return flights. On Monday, S&P Global released a risk assessment of the Israel-Iran conflict but left Israel's credit outlook unchanged. Surprisingly, Israeli stock markets rose on Wednesday, with investors betting on the resilience of the economy and a possible swift end to the hostilities. Economists point to Israel's past ability to weather prolonged conflicts, including the 20-month war in Gaza. However, the destruction inflicted by Iranian missile attacks is severe. Structural engineer Eyal Shalev said the damage caused by large ballistic missiles is worse than anything seen in recent conflicts. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged, with repair costs expected to run into the hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, Ynet News also reported that Brigadier General (res.) Re'em Aminach, a former senior defence official and IDF financial consultant, estimated that Israel spent about $1.45 billion during the initial two days of combat. Of this, around $593 million went toward offensive operations, such as airstrikes and flight hours, and the rest to defensive measures like missile interception and reservist mobilisation. 'These are direct costs only,' Aminach said. 'The indirect costs — including impact on GDP — cannot be measured at this stage.' The finance ministry has already lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2025 from 4.3% to 3.6% and warned that the existing emergency reserve, mostly depleted by the war in Gaza, does not account for a concurrent conflict with Iran. Israel's deficit ceiling for the year is 4.9% of GDP, or roughly $27.6 billion, which could now be under pressure as the war drags on.
AFP
16 hours ago
- AFP
AI image of crashed jet falsely linked to Iran-Israel war
said its forces had shot down two Israeli fighter jets, a report dismissed as "fake news" by an Israeli official, an image surfaced in posts falsely claiming it shows a downed F-35. But the picture contains visual inconsistencies typical of AI-generated content, an AFP analysis found. "The F-35 shot down by Iran. Much bigger than I thought," reads the Korean-language caption of an image shared on Threads on June 15, 2025. The image appears to show a massive fighter jet that has crashed in the desert and is missing its left wing. A crowd appears to have gathered around its nose. It circulated after Iranian state media said the country's forces had downed two Israeli fighter jets during a massive Israeli air raid on June 13 (archived link). An Israeli official rejected the report as "fake news" (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false Threads post taken June 19, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same image was shared on South Korean forum Aagag, and a wider crop appearing to show the plane next to a road surfaced in similar Threads and X posts as well as in other forums such as SVR Forum, Ruliweb, MLB Park and Inven. But the image has tell-tale signs of being AI generated, and the purported F-35 fighter jet does not match photos of the warplane. In the version that shows the plane next to a road, the people surrounding the aircraft appear to be as large as the buses and one vehicle appears to be fused to the road. Image Visual insistencies contained in the falsely shared image -- highlighted and magnified by AFP Moreover, the shape and size of the purported crashed jet -- which according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin measures just under 16 metres (52 feet) -- differs from F-35s as seen in photos available An AFP photo of an Israeli F-35 also shows the symbol on its wing -- a Star of David on a circle -- is different to the symbol on the purported crashed jet's wing, which appears to be a star with a thick border. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and photos of F-35s (right), with differences highlighted by AFP While generative AI technology is rapidly improving, visual inconsistencies persist and are the best way to identify fabricated content. The Iran-Israel conflict has triggered a wave of misinformation, which AFP has debunked here.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
The weapons used as fighting between Israel and Iran rages
The F-35 and the war for the skies Israel's strategy has been to quickly establish control over Iran's airspace, allowing its air force to bomb Iranian targets unhampered. This has been a multi-step strategy. Israel struck Iran several times last year, hitting air-defence facilities, including several S-300 mobile surface-to-air missile systems supplied by Russia. On Friday, the latest conflict's first day, Israel struck the remaining air-defence systems, building an unobstructed strike corridor for its planes to bomb Tehran. Many of these strikes were carried out by Israel's fleet of American-supplied F-35s, complemented by F-15s and F-16s. The F35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter, designed to be all but invisible to air defences. Its listed combat range is smaller than the distance between Israel and Iran, suggesting Israel has managed to modify its fuel reserves without compromising its stealth capacity. That newly extended strike capacity will put other Middle Eastern countries on notice, said Dr Binoy Kampmark, a lecturer at RMIT University who focuses on armed conflict. Iran's air force is entirely outmatched. The country has a few hundred patched-together planes dating from the 1970s: Russian MiG-29s, American F-14s, some Chinese F-7s. Iran has claimed it has shot down at least three of the F-35s using surface-to-air missiles. Israel has described those claims as fake news. 'Both sides are exaggerating for propaganda purposes,' said Hashim. 'I did not think the Iranians had the capability to shoot it down – someone must have given them that capability recently.' Drone warfare Drones have rapidly reshaped the face of warfare. In an operation dubbed 'Spider's Web', Ukraine struck four airbases deep inside Russia this month using smuggled explosive drones hidden inside shipping containers. The crates were taken to near their targets by drivers unaware of what they were transporting, before the drones were remotely activated. Pilots flew them to their targets – or AI was used when the signal was lost. We have less detail about Israel's operations early in the fighting with Iran, but it seems to have pulled off a similar trick. The Israelis appear to have built a one-way drone base in Iran, which they used to strike missile launchers near Tehran. The attacks were supported by vehicles and commandos also smuggled into the country. 'That was not a one-off. This is now a pattern of behaviour. This will now require a rethink of interior defence around the world, including Australia,' said Adam Lockyer, an associate professor in strategic studies at Macquarie University. Iran responded by launching more than 100 drones of its own at Israel. Iran makes its own Shahed drones, which it has sold to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine. Said Kampmark: 'They certainly don't have the same firepower the Israelis do. But they have invested in low-cost technologies en masse. The Shahed drone is their masterpiece.' Loading The drones have a long range and carry 50-kilogram warheads, but they fly slowly. Israel, with assistance from the US, has been able to intercept and destroy most of them. Iran has had more success combining drone and ballistic missile attacks, with the aim of overwhelming Israeli missile defences. Israel's most notable defence network is the Iron Dome – a network of anti-ballistic missile defences spread throughout the country. Israel has also been using a new addition to this system, known as the Iron Beam, in its conflict in Gaza: a high-powered laser cannon that can shoot down drones and missiles. Ballistic missiles Iran has tried to retaliate against Israel by launching hundreds of ballistic missiles. The country has invested heavily in missile development and production and now has probably the best arsenal in the Middle East, said Hashim – ranging from the old to cutting-edge technology. 'Iran has put all its eggs in the basket of ballistic missiles because it has not been able to rebuild its air force,' he said. Iran's missile development program started with Russian-built Scud missiles 'that were totally inaccurate and just pieces of shit', he said. But Iran's weapons are now 'progressively more technologically advanced'. Iran even claims it has developed and, as of Wednesday, deployed 'hypersonic missiles', a key advance. Hypersonic missiles can fly five times the speed of sound while also manoeuvring to avoid air defences. 'That makes it very hard to intercept. Even the Iron Dome would find it hard to intercept some of these particular missiles,' said Kampmark. The country has also claimed to have found ways to confuse the Iron Dome and make it target itself, said Dr Oleksandra Molloy, a senior aviation lecturer at the University of NSW who has published papers on drones for the Australian Army Research Centre, as part of an overall strategy to 'saturate Israeli air defence networks and confuse radar operations'. 'While some will be intercepted, some will still get through.' Social media footage also appears to suggest Iran has deployed multi-warhead ballistic missiles, she said. 'These submunitions – often referred to as bomblets – are released from the missile's warhead during its terminal phase to disperse over a wide area and hit multiple targets,' she said. Bunker busters On Tuesday, several American news outlets reported US President Donald Trump was hoping to use the country's bunker-busting bombs as leverage to bring the conflict to a swift close; Trump has demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. The bunker-buster bombs have assumed central importance because of Iran's Fordow nuclear site, which houses thousands of centrifuges that are key to Iran's purported ability to make nuclear weapons. The complex is buried deep within a mountain. Israel has damaged Iran's other nuclear site at Natanz. But destroying Fordow presents a different challenge: munitions need to penetrate 80 metres of solid rock before hitting the underground bunkers. Only one bomb is capable of that: the US's GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The specially hardened shell of the bomb is designed to punch through the ground before exploding. The bomb is GPS-guided, but due to its extreme weight – more than 13 tonnes – it can only be dropped by the US's B2 Spirit stealth bomber.
The Age
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
The weapons used as fighting between Israel and Iran rages
The F-35 and the war for the skies Israel's strategy has been to quickly establish control over Iran's airspace, allowing its air force to bomb Iranian targets unhampered. This has been a multi-step strategy. Israel struck Iran several times last year, hitting air-defence facilities, including several S-300 mobile surface-to-air missile systems supplied by Russia. On Friday, the latest conflict's first day, Israel struck the remaining air-defence systems, building an unobstructed strike corridor for its planes to bomb Tehran. Many of these strikes were carried out by Israel's fleet of American-supplied F-35s, complemented by F-15s and F-16s. The F35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter, designed to be all but invisible to air defences. Its listed combat range is smaller than the distance between Israel and Iran, suggesting Israel has managed to modify its fuel reserves without compromising its stealth capacity. That newly extended strike capacity will put other Middle Eastern countries on notice, said Dr Binoy Kampmark, a lecturer at RMIT University who focuses on armed conflict. Iran's air force is entirely outmatched. The country has a few hundred patched-together planes dating from the 1970s: Russian MiG-29s, American F-14s, some Chinese F-7s. Iran has claimed it has shot down at least three of the F-35s using surface-to-air missiles. Israel has described those claims as fake news. 'Both sides are exaggerating for propaganda purposes,' said Hashim. 'I did not think the Iranians had the capability to shoot it down – someone must have given them that capability recently.' Drone warfare Drones have rapidly reshaped the face of warfare. In an operation dubbed 'Spider's Web', Ukraine struck four airbases deep inside Russia this month using smuggled explosive drones hidden inside shipping containers. The crates were taken to near their targets by drivers unaware of what they were transporting, before the drones were remotely activated. Pilots flew them to their targets – or AI was used when the signal was lost. We have less detail about Israel's operations early in the fighting with Iran, but it seems to have pulled off a similar trick. The Israelis appear to have built a one-way drone base in Iran, which they used to strike missile launchers near Tehran. The attacks were supported by vehicles and commandos also smuggled into the country. 'That was not a one-off. This is now a pattern of behaviour. This will now require a rethink of interior defence around the world, including Australia,' said Adam Lockyer, an associate professor in strategic studies at Macquarie University. Iran responded by launching more than 100 drones of its own at Israel. Iran makes its own Shahed drones, which it has sold to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine. Said Kampmark: 'They certainly don't have the same firepower the Israelis do. But they have invested in low-cost technologies en masse. The Shahed drone is their masterpiece.' Loading The drones have a long range and carry 50-kilogram warheads, but they fly slowly. Israel, with assistance from the US, has been able to intercept and destroy most of them. Iran has had more success combining drone and ballistic missile attacks, with the aim of overwhelming Israeli missile defences. Israel's most notable defence network is the Iron Dome – a network of anti-ballistic missile defences spread throughout the country. Israel has also been using a new addition to this system, known as the Iron Beam, in its conflict in Gaza: a high-powered laser cannon that can shoot down drones and missiles. Ballistic missiles Iran has tried to retaliate against Israel by launching hundreds of ballistic missiles. The country has invested heavily in missile development and production and now has probably the best arsenal in the Middle East, said Hashim – ranging from the old to cutting-edge technology. 'Iran has put all its eggs in the basket of ballistic missiles because it has not been able to rebuild its air force,' he said. Iran's missile development program started with Russian-built Scud missiles 'that were totally inaccurate and just pieces of shit', he said. But Iran's weapons are now 'progressively more technologically advanced'. Iran even claims it has developed and, as of Wednesday, deployed 'hypersonic missiles', a key advance. Hypersonic missiles can fly five times the speed of sound while also manoeuvring to avoid air defences. 'That makes it very hard to intercept. Even the Iron Dome would find it hard to intercept some of these particular missiles,' said Kampmark. The country has also claimed to have found ways to confuse the Iron Dome and make it target itself, said Dr Oleksandra Molloy, a senior aviation lecturer at the University of NSW who has published papers on drones for the Australian Army Research Centre, as part of an overall strategy to 'saturate Israeli air defence networks and confuse radar operations'. 'While some will be intercepted, some will still get through.' Social media footage also appears to suggest Iran has deployed multi-warhead ballistic missiles, she said. 'These submunitions – often referred to as bomblets – are released from the missile's warhead during its terminal phase to disperse over a wide area and hit multiple targets,' she said. Bunker busters On Tuesday, several American news outlets reported US President Donald Trump was hoping to use the country's bunker-busting bombs as leverage to bring the conflict to a swift close; Trump has demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. The bunker-buster bombs have assumed central importance because of Iran's Fordow nuclear site, which houses thousands of centrifuges that are key to Iran's purported ability to make nuclear weapons. The complex is buried deep within a mountain. Israel has damaged Iran's other nuclear site at Natanz. But destroying Fordow presents a different challenge: munitions need to penetrate 80 metres of solid rock before hitting the underground bunkers. Only one bomb is capable of that: the US's GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The specially hardened shell of the bomb is designed to punch through the ground before exploding. The bomb is GPS-guided, but due to its extreme weight – more than 13 tonnes – it can only be dropped by the US's B2 Spirit stealth bomber.
