According to new reporting from the New York Times, a Houthi surface-to-air (SAM) missile barely missed an American F-35 fifth-generation fighter, the crown jewel of the U.S. fighter inventory. The F-35, participating in Operation Rough Rider against the Houthis, was forced to take evasive action to avoid the missile.
The incident raises questions about the survivability of one of America’s most advanced fighters, and raises concerns over how effective the relatively unsophisticated Houthi air defense system has been at hampering U.S. action.
It’s even worse than the headline.
The F35 is supposed to have stealth capabilities. That’s partly why it costs so much.
Ansar Allah locked on the most technologically advanced stealth fighter the West has ever produced. And they did it with a 1970s AA radar made in the Soviet Union.
Indeed, stealth is the main selling point of the platform and if it doesn’t work the whole thing is a joke.