During Operation Midnight Hammer, US F-35s effectively neutralized Iranian air defenses. Explore the reasons behind the inability of contemporary Iranian air defenses to identify fifth-generation fighters.
F-35 / © Associated Press
The US Air Force has now officially disclosed the function of fifth-generation F-35A fighter aircraft in Operation Midnight Hammer, during which American forces targeted Iranian nuclear sites in June.
This information comes from Defense Express.
F-35s engaged Iran's air defenses — and the adversary was unable to detect them
The mission encompassed 125 planes, featuring 7 B-2 bombers that deployed 14 GBU-57 heavy bunker-buster bombs. The operation was officially proclaimed a success, yet independent evaluations suggest that the impact on Iran's nuclear agenda was less substantial than initially anticipated.
F-35 / © Reuters
Concurrently, the F-35A executed critical duties:
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neutralizing Iranian air defense networks (SEAD)
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providing security for the strike group after the completion of the assault
The commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, Charles Fallon, remarked that the operation validated “all the proficiencies of the F-35 that have been discussed for years,” and the aircraft itself demonstrated its significance “for current and future engagements.”
Iran activated “highly advanced systems” — but none could intercept the F-35
Aaron Osborn, commander of the 34th Expeditionary Squadron, verified that the F-35s proficiently suppressed the air defense locations, while Iranian forces endeavored to strike the American “stealth” aircraft utilizing “very sophisticated air defense systems.”
However:
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no F-35 sustained damage ,
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Iran failed to even secure superior guidance technology,
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The F-35's stealth capabilities and electronic warfare capabilities entirely disrupted the air defense infrastructure.
The Americans did not define what these “modern systems” consisted of — and it is plausible that they purposely maintained ambiguous wording.
Potential countermeasures to the F-35: the speculation surrounding Bavar-373
In 2019, Iran unveiled its own “enigmatic” Bavar-373 air defense apparatus, which supposedly:
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possesses a range spanning 200–300 km,
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surpasses the capacities of the S-400 (according to Tehran's pronouncements),
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is engineered to engage targets with minimal visibility.
Nevertheless, concrete substantiation of the complex's factual attributes remains absent — and Operation Midnight Hammer presented yet another indication that Iranian assertions may be inflated.