Israël et les États-Unis développent le F-35 pour attaquer l'Iran de manière plus secrète et efficace.

The British newspaper Middle East Eye revealed that the United States and "Israel" have made advanced technological modifications to the F-35 stealth fighter jets used by "Israel" to expand their operational range without the need for refueling, while maintaining the aircraft's stealth features.

According to the website, American officials who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that "Israel" did not use any refueling operations during the airstrike carried out against Iran last Friday, and its aircraft did not land in any neighboring country for refueling purposes.

The officials explained that the modification was done in full cooperation between the United States and "Israel," involving the installation of external fuel tanks that do not affect the aircraft's radar-evading and sensor capabilities, marking a significant enhancement in the aircraft's operational capabilities.

The Israeli Air Force refers to its modified version of the aircraft as the F-35I "Adir," the world's only stealth aircraft with long combat range, designed to be difficult to track by radars or infrared devices.

The Middle East Eye report indicated that this modification has given "Israel" the ability to carry out a wide-ranging surprise attack without the need for external logistical support, which a US defense official considered a "fundamental change" in the aerial equation.

One of the American officials refused to disclose precise technical details but suggested that the modification includes adding a special external structure to carry fuel.

The second American official confirmed that "Israel" has already installed external fuel tanks on its F-35 fighters.

It is worth noting that the standard combat range of the F-35 aircraft is about 700 miles, while the shortest aerial distance between Israel and Iran is about 620 miles in one direction, which was previously an operational obstacle.

This development traces back to a report published by the Hebrew website "Wallah" in 2021, which stated that the Israeli Air Force had been working on developing detachable fuel tanks for its F-35I aircraft since then, with the completion of this modification expected within two years, which seems to have been achieved now.