The Pentagon has provided special computer files to Israel with detailed information about enemy threats to aid their use of F-35s against Hamas. Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the U.S. turned around F-35 mission data files to Israel in a “week, week and half.” Israel’s fleet of F-35s has performed “absolutely outstanding” in the war against Hamas, with a high mission capability rate in the Middle East, according to F-35 Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt.
As the Pentagon touts the efficacy of the F-35 during the war, the death toll in Gaza has reached over 18,000 since Oct. 7. The Israeli Defense Force confirmed it has used one of the fighters to shoot down a cruise missile. The Pentagon is speeding up maintenance support and providing spare parts and capabilities to Israel. The F-35 program office is learning a lot from seeing F-35s used in combat and spoke with Israel’s chief of staff about their performance.
