Israel has demonstrated the ‘power’ of its F-35s in destroying almost all of Iran’s air defenses without loss, a UK lawyer has said.

• A senior UK military official has confirmed that Israel used F-35s when it attacked Iran in October.

• Adm. Tony Radakin said the performance showed the “power” of the fifth-generation aircraft.

• His comments come after Elon Musk criticized the F-35 and its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.

Israel demonstrated the “power” of its F-35 stealth fighter jet during its retaliatory strikes in late October against Iran, a British military official said on Wednesday.

Adm. Tony Radakin, the UK’s chief of defense staff, revealed that Israel used its F-35s to carry out widespread strikes on October 26 against military sites across Iran, including air defense systems and missile production facilities.

It appeared to mark the first confirmation from a Western government that Israel had deployed its fifth-generation fighter jet into action, which came after a major Iranian missile attack earlier in the month. At the time it was reported that Israel flew F-35s and fired air-launched ballistic missiles.

“Israel used more than 100 aircraft, carrying less than 100 weapons, and no aircraft reached 100 kilometers from the target of the first wave, and that brought down almost all of Iran’s air defense system,” Radakin said during the royal meeting. . United Services Institute course in London.

“It destroyed Iran’s ability to produce ballistic missiles for a year and left Tehran with a strategic problem of how to respond. That is the power of [fifth-generation] flight, combined with good targeting and incredible intelligence,” Radakin said. “And all of that is delivered in one form.”

He said the operation shows “the disproportionate advantage of modern warfare.” Business Insider contacted the Israel Defense Forces about Radakin’s comments but has not yet received a response.

The IF-35 is a single-engine, multi-role stealth aircraft developed by US contractor Lockheed Martin. There are several types of fighter jet, which took its first flight about 20 years ago and is now flown by several countries around the world.

Israel was the first to use the F-35 in combat in 2018. It operates just under 40 F-35I jets, a subvariant of the F-35A model, although this fleet will grow to 75 in the coming years.

The IF-35I is Israel’s only fifth-generation fighter jet. It also has American-made F-16 and F-15 jets.

Radakin’s praise for the fifth-generation platform comes after Elon Musk criticized the F-35, the Pentagon’s most expensive weapon system but widely regarded as the cornerstone of US airpower. The CEO of SpaceX and an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump took to social media last month to bash the plane for its design and remove its stealth capabilities. Airpower experts quickly pushed back against some of his statements.

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