With at least 16 US military aircraft apparently lost in the last month, the escalating battle between the US and Iran has exposed flaws in contemporary air warfare.
Due to a combination of friendly fire, hostile fire, and operational accidents, fighter jets, drones, and support aircraft have been lost. Notably, one of the first incidences employing the cutting-edge stealth platform occurred when an F-35 Lightning II was damaged during a combat mission and had to make an emergency landing.
A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in Iraq, and missile strikes destroyed many refueling aircraft in yet another significant setback. In addition, a friendly fire incident over Kuwait apparently resulted in the downing of three F-15 Eagle aircraft.
Additionally, US ground-based defense systems have suffered. Iranian strikes around the Gulf region damaged important radar equipment, such as the long-range AN/FPS-132 in Qatar and AN/TPY-2 systems connected to missile defense networks.
The losses demonstrate the changing hazards of high-intensity wars, especially for technologically advanced forces, even while the US and its allies continue to maintain air superiority.
Source – India Today
