US sends F-35 fighter jets in anticipation of widespread Israel-Hamas

Israel's war with Palestinian Islamic militants (Hamas) has erupted since Saturday (7/10/2023). To anticipate an escalation of war in the surrounding regions, the United States will send a sophisticated fifth generation fighter aircraft, the F-35, to the Middle East.

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The US sent advanced fighter jets, including F-35s and F-15s, to patrol the Eastern Mediterranean region. The aim is to prevent the Israel - Hamas war from spreading beyond the country's borders.

The deployment is a form of US support for its close ally, Israel. Israel has declared war on Hamas, after Hamas bombarded Israeli territory with 5,000 rockets.

"We have taken steps to increase the US Air Force's F-35, F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter squadrons in the region," said US Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin III in a statement released Sunday (8/10/2023).

"The US maintains the readiness of its forces globally to further strengthen this deterrence (war expansion) posture if necessary," he continued.

F-35 specifications

For information, this fighter aircraft, whose full name is the F-35 Lightning, is the most advanced fifth generation fighter aircraft in the ranks of the US Air Force's fighter aircraft. This fighter aircraft has anti-stealth features, and can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, especially the F-35B variant.

There are nine countries involved in developing this aircraft, from the United States, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway, to Australia. 

Not only is it purchased by the countries that make it, the F-35 is also marketed outside those countries, one of which is Indonesia's neighboring country, Singapore.

The F-35 can travel at a speed of Mach 1.6 or the equivalent of 1,930 km/hour. This performance is supported by the One Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine. When the fuel tank is full, this fighter plane can cover a distance of up to 2,172 km.

With advanced aerodynamic performance and integrated avionics, the F-35 has stealth capabilities or can disappear from enemy aircraft radars. 

This feature was then enhanced with a situational awareness feature, so that pilots get better and more accurate information faster than the enemy. Situational awareness is a driver of combat effectiveness and survivability.

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F-35 Jet Armament

Regarding weapons, this aircraft is equipped with 1 x GAU-22/A 25 mm cannon (for F-35A model), optional pod with 25 mm cannon (on F-35B and F-35C variants), AIM-9X Sidewinder Missiles, AIM- 120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM, JSOW, Brimstone, Meteor Bombs GBU-31/32 JDAM, WCMD, Paveway laser-guided bombs, and free-fall bombs.