Russia sent the S-300 air defense system to the Middle East. Once again, the position "close the sky" of this country was voiced. The American edition of The National Interest believes that this decision will not greatly affect the ability of the Israeli Air Force to strike at Syrian territory. According to journalists, the latest F-35s, if necessary, will easily destroy Russian complexes. True, the author of the article refers to the opinion of an anonymous Israeli official, not really bothering himself with evidence.
Recall that the decision to send S-300 complexes was made after the crash of the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, which was hit by "friendly" fire off the coast of Syrian Latakia. The incident happened during the regular raid by the Israeli Air Force, so the Russian leadership blamed the tragedy of the country's military. In addition to the S-300, Moscow decided to transfer to the Syrians also the newest electronic warfare systems, including the electronic warfare systems Krasukha.
F-35 vs. S-30: an epic "battle" in the sky of Syria
The source said that even without using the latest software updates, the Israeli F-35 has all the capabilities to attack the S-300 complexes. True, while they are under Russian control, no one will do it. It will take a long time for Syrian anti-aircraft gunners to learn how to use the most complex systems, until then they will be managed by Russian specialists. However, in general, the appearance of the S-300 in Syria will not be able to limit the capabilities of Israel.
“The operational capabilities of the Air Force are such that these batteries do not limit their actions in any way. Everyone knows that we have stealth fighters, the best airplanes in the world. These Russian batteries are unable to even notice them,” said Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzhahi Khanegbi.
One of the main tasks of the F-35 is precisely the destruction of air defense systems, similar to the S-300. These aircraft are fully operational since December last year, and in the future, thanks to the use of software upgrades to the Block 3F and Block 4 level, their capabilities will become even wider. Earlier, Israel signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin, an American company, to upgrade the F-35 to Block 3F + until 2021.
But even today, these combat vehicles represent a formidable force capable of destroying the S-300 in Syria. Moreover, according to the author of the article, they are better suited for this task than any other combat aircraft existing today. The only deterrent is finding Russians on these complexes. Earlier in Moscow they said that it would take about three months to prepare Syrian calculations. It is possible that Israel will think about the practical destruction of these air defense systems after they are finally transferred to the Syrian army.
Recall recently that the F-35, owned by the US Marine Corps, crashed in South Carolina. As a result of the disaster, no one was hurt - the pilot managed to eject in time. The causes of the incident are not yet known. It is curious that on the same day the US military department signed the largest contract for the supply of 141 combat vehicles with Lockheed Martin, the fighter manufacturer company. F-35 is considered one of the most expensive aircraft in the world, the cost of its deck and "Morfehovskoy" modifications exceeds $ 100 million. It belongs to the fifth generation of fighters, the technology "stealth" of the new generation makes the "thirty-fifth" invisible to enemy radar.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised the F-35 for its combat performance, but criticized it for being too expensive.
