US Military Equipment "Falls from Grace"

Why Did AI · F-35 Stealth Technology Fail Against Iran’s Air Defense?

Since the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, the myth of “invincible” American weapons has been repeatedly shattered. F-15E fighters, KC-135 tankers, and F-35 fighters have all suffered damage or destruction in succession. The “super missile defense system” carefully built by the U.S. in the Middle East has failed to perform as expected, and the USS Ford aircraft carrier involved in the operations has experienced frequent accidents.

So, what problems have U.S. weapons and equipment encountered? Military analyst Zhang Xuefeng provides an analysis.

Aircraft Damage

Photo: U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet (Source: Global Network)

Host: Recently, U.S. F-15E fighters, KC-135 tankers, and F-35 fighters have been damaged in attacks or accidents. What are the reasons for the damage to these core U.S. military assets?

Zhang Xuefeng

Recently, three U.S. F-15E fighters were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti F/A-18 fighters, possibly due to a malfunction in Kuwait’s friend-foe identification system or communication errors between the two sides.

Later, a U.S. KC-135 tanker crashed, likely due to a mid-air collision during refueling at night or while avoiding Iraqi guerrilla air defenses. A third loss involved a KC-135 deployed in Saudi Arabia being struck by an Iranian ballistic missile, damaging five KC-135s.

The most sensational loss was an F-35 being hit by an Iranian air defense missile, which also proved that the previous claims by the U.S. and Israel of completely destroying Iran’s air defense system were false. This incident marked the first time an F-35 or even a U.S. stealth fighter was damaged. Previously, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, an F-117A stealth bomber was shot down, but it was mainly used for ground attack, whereas the F-35 is a true fighter jet. Iran’s effective damage to the F-35 is closely related to the type of air defense system used. The F-35’s stealth mainly relies on radar invisibility, with a small radar cross-section making it difficult for enemy radars to track at long distances. However, infrared detection systems can still effectively track it. Iran may have used the AD-08 missile system, which is small and infrared-guided, making it hard for electronic warfare systems to detect when it is launched.

Ground Air Defense Weaknesses

Photo: An Iranian “Shahid-136” suicide drone displayed at the U.S. Capitol (Source: Global Network)

Host: According to U.S. media reports, the U.S. spent years integrating the previously independent missile defense systems of Middle Eastern countries into a comprehensive “super missile defense system.” However, this carefully constructed network faced enormous pressure from Iran’s missile and drone attacks, and U.S. officials admitted that interception effectiveness was below expectations. What caused this?

Zhang Xuefeng

First, some U.S. allies in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, have large land areas with low-density air defense deployments, making it difficult to intercept all threats during saturation attacks.

Second, before launching strikes against Iran, the U.S. and Israel may not have notified their Middle Eastern allies, giving Iran a certain element of surprise in its counterattacks, leaving these countries unprepared.

Additionally, Iran employed tactics similar to “Tian Ji’s horse racing,” such as using small suicide drones to attack large radar systems. One weakness of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system is its inability to intercept targets below 30-40 kilometers, allowing Iranian drones to exploit this gap and target radar systems directly. If the radar guiding the missile system is destroyed, the entire system becomes inoperable.

Naval Carrier Fire

Photo: U.S. Ford-class aircraft carrier (Source: Global Network)

Host: The U.S. “Ford” aircraft carrier caught fire during its involvement in military operations against Iran. U.S. media reported that a malfunction in the onboard main laundry dryer caused a “non-combat fire.” The fire suppression and cleanup took over 30 hours, and many sailors lost their beds. Some netizens believe that the U.S. military’s official statement claiming “combat readiness unaffected” is just a facade. What issues does this incident reveal about the “Ford” carrier?

Zhang Xuefeng

The U.S. “Ford” carrier is truly in “deep water and fire”—toilet water is deep, and laundry fires are hot. Even before deployment, the “Ford” had toilet problems, and the main laundry room caught fire again, forcing the U.S. to remove some bunks from the “Kennedy” to supplement the “Ford.”

Typically, U.S. aircraft carriers are deployed overseas for about seven months, but the “Ford” has been deployed for around nine months, putting both the ship and crew under significant stress. The 30-hour firefighting effort indicates that the crew’s training may not have met expectations.

The damage to multiple U.S. systems has caused American equipment to “fall from grace.” The White House faced domestic criticism from the start of this war, and now losses in multiple areas have shaken U.S. resolve to continue fighting.

Source: China National Radio Military