How Israel Cracked the F-35’s Stealth Range for Deep Iran Strikes
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter has confirmed that the IAF successfully integrated conformal fuel tanks and wing-mounted missiles into the F-35I "Adir," overcoming range and payload limitations for deep-strike missions in Iran.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter has confirmed that Israel has overcome two key limitations of its F-35I "Adir" stealth fighters, enabling deeper strikes into Iran.
In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom published Sunday, Leiter stated: "We developed fuel tanks that extend the aircraft's range without compromising stealth, and we added four missiles on the wings."
The upgrades, conformal fuel tanks and external wing hardpoints for additional munitions, were developed by the Israeli Air Force and defense industry. They preserve the jets' low-observable profile while addressing the F-35's traditional short combat radius and limited internal weapons load in full stealth mode.
Leiter highlighted the IAF's extensive operational experience: "The number of flight hours of our pilots on the F-35 is greater than that of all the pilots of the other foreign countries that were partners in the development of the aircraft. The feedback from our pilots reaches Lockheed Martin." He added that during a recent visit to the manufacturer, the CEO told him the Israeli innovations are "worth billions" to the company.
The revelations come amid discussions of Israel's transition from US military aid to technology partnerships, with Leiter noting the upgrades were battle-tested in recent operations, including "Operation Rising Lion" against Iranian targets.