The U.S. Air Pressure has redeployed half dozen F–35A fifth era fighters to RAF Lakenheath in the UK on February 9, in keeping with flight monitoring knowledge, representing one of many newest developments in a greater than month lengthy surge within the U.S. navy presence in Europe and the Center East. The fighters had been deployed by the Vermont Air Nationwide Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, and departed Burlington Air Nationwide Guard base on the morning of February 9 accompanied by three KC–135 Stratotankers which offered refuelling help. Six different F–35s from the identical squadron have additionally redeployed to Spain, after having briefly been briefly based mostly at newly restored amenities in Puerto Rico. U.S. Marine Corps F-35C fighters have already been deployed to the Center East onboard the nuclear powered supercarrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
The 158th Fighter Wing is a specialised air defence suppression unit, which is a functionality that’s anticipated to be notably extremely valued within the occasion of battle with Iran, a lot because it was with Venezuela, as each nations lack considerably fleets of recent fighter plane and rely closely on ground-based air defences to counter fashionable air energy. Developed within the post-Chilly Warfare years, when ground-based air defences had been seen to pose a higher problem to Western Bloc air dominance than enemy fight aviation, the F-35 is already closely specialised in air defence suppression operations, with its distinctive passive sensor array, mixed with world main stealth capabilities and a strong digital warfare suite, making it nicely fitted to such roles. Nonetheless, there stay variations between models in how they’re geared up and the way they practice, relying on their specialisation.
The Iranian ground-based air defence community is among the many most formidable within the Center East, though it was largely disabled from the bottom throughout prior U.S. and Israeli assaults in June 2025 because of the efficient use of operatives on the bottom to assault key techniques earlier than air strikes commenced. Because of this, Israeli sources reported that not a single surface-to-air missile was fired all through your complete marketing campaign. Ought to Iran have succeeded in additional successfully securing itself internally, its air defences might pose a considerably higher problem within the occasion of future hostilities. U.S. Air Pressure F-35s have in the meantime been impeded by excessive delays bringing their capabilities to the Block 4 customary, with out which they lack entry to any air-to-surface missiles, together with the AGM-88G anti-radiation missile which is one of the best suited weapon designed for the plane for air defence suppression operations.
Israeli Air Pressure officers have indicated that F-35s collaborating in assaults on Iran in June 2025 primarily served as intelligence assortment platforms, sharing knowledge with fourth era fighters to extend situational consciousness, whereas F-15s and F-16s which may carry air-to-ground missiles bore duty for kinetic assaults. It stays extremely attainable that U.S. Air Pressure F-35As and Marine Corps F-35Cs would equally be replied on to help different plane, reminiscent of EA-18Gs which do deploy the AGM-88, moderately than immediately launching kinetic assaults. Though Iran at the moment lacks a contemporary fighter fleet, leaked Russian authorities paperwork in late 2025 confirmed that Russia is scheduled to ship 48 Su-35 fighters to re-equip the nation’s air pressure, amounting to half of all 96 Su-35s ever constructed for export. The Russian lengthy vary fighters’ means to enhance ground-based belongings with elevated sensors and extra offensive potential having the potential to noticeably complicate attainable assault plans. With the Su-35s scheduled to enter service in 2026, the U.S. retains a window throughout which Iranian air defences will stay extra susceptible.
