Operation 'Outstretched Arm' demonstrates Israel's F-35's stealth striking capabilities

Almost 30 years ago, the Israel Air Force carried out Operation “Wooden Leg” to attack the PLO headquarters in Tunis, a distance of 2,200 kilometers from Israel, the most extended attack it had carried out until then.

A group of eight F-15 aircraft was assisted by two aerial refueling planes to cover the distance, and professionals around the world were impressed by Israel’s ability to attack with fighter jets at ranges commonly used by bombers, which Israel does not have.

The attack on the Houthi targets in Yemen is very reminiscent of that operation, with an almost identical range but with different aircraft. In 2024, the air force operates a squadron of F-15I Ra’am aircraft, which is more advanced and better suited for long-range attack missions than the F-15s used in the Tunis attack.

According to reports, this time, the air force used the newer F-35 aircraft, known as Adir, which led the attack. The 100 F-16I Sufa aircraft operated by the air force are even more advanced than the Ra’am, which arrived here 26 years ago. Likely, the Ra’am and Sufa aircraft were also integrated into the operation, even if only for refueling protection.

Unlike the F-15 and F-16, the F-35 is a single-engine aircraft with a single pilot rather than a pilot and navigator crew who can assist in operating advanced attack munitions. However, it has several significant advantages in long-range attacks.

The first of these advantages is stealth; radars find it very difficult to detect the F-35 due to its structure and the materials it is coated with, which absorb most of the electromagnetic waves. An attacking F-35 will be detected much later than an F-15 or F-16, usually too late to respond. This is also important concerning the attack on Yemen, as the Houthis have already demonstrated that they possess anti-aircraft missile systems, and they have already shot down American UAVs.

Israel already purchased 50 aircraft from Lockheed Martin

Israel has already purchased 50 aircraft from Lockheed Martin.

The aircraft also has electronic warfare systems, including Israeli systems, which the air force insisted on integrating into the purchased aircraft. These systems are designed to protect the plane when it carries under its wings weapons and fuel tanks that make it less covert.

The second advantage is the aircraft’s array of sensors. Israel has already purchased 50 Lockheed Martin aircraft, with most already delivered, and is currently acquiring a third squadron. The list includes advanced radar, optical, and thermal sensors; the ability to intercept radar transmissions; and especially the capability to fuse this information to cross-reference it.

This allows it to locate targets, identify the safest flight path with minimal chances of detection and interception, and share its information with other aircraft and rear command centers. The F-35 is not just an attack aircraft; it has capabilities that, until recently, required a series of surveillance and intelligence-gathering aircraft to achieve.

The third feature is its carrying capacity: 8.1 tons of bombs and missiles, including about 1.4 tons in two internal weapon bays for stealth mode flight, with the rest on external hard points on the wings. This is a lot for a single-engine fighter of this size – not much less than the twin-engine F-15I (11 tons). The F-35 can carry a variety of intelligent bombs, which it can release from dozens to sometimes hundreds of kilometers away from the target, making it possible for a single quartet of Adir aircraft to attack dozens of targets.

The fourth feature is its range: the F-35A model operated by the air force can fly about 1,150 kilometers each way – about 150 kilometers less than the approximately 1,300 kilometers of the F-15 and the F-16 Sufa. All three can be refueled in the air by the IAF’s older refueling aircraft, or they can use long-range missiles and bombs, as was done in the attack on the Iranian radar attributed to Israel after the missile and drone attack on April 14.

Either way, eight years after the first F-35s landed at Nevatim Airbase, Israel’s first stealth aircraft marks an important milestone.