Israeli F‑35i jets strike Hodeidah port in precision attack
Israel conducted a retaliatory attack on the port of Hodeidah in Yemen last night using F-35I Adir aircraft. The target was the Houthi energy and fuel infrastructure. Here's what Israel used.
Israel has frequently carried out bombing attacks, such as in Lebanon against Hezbollah, so a similar move after the Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv was inevitable. It was only a matter of when, and it appears that the attack was carried out on the night of 19-20 July 2024.
Israel reportedly used its latest F-35I Adir aircraft in the attack, which, due to the distance of about 2,000 kilometres one way, had to be refuelled in the air, most likely by US Air Force flying tankers. Only in this manner (relying solely on internal tanks) could they fly undetected through the airspace of other Arab countries located between Israel and Yemen.
F-35I Adir — the best aircraft in the possession of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and the only such F-35 in the world
The Israeli F-35I Adir is a unique version of the F-35 aircraft, which is also significantly more expensive than the base variant used by the USA and other NATO countries. Israel even has its own test version of the aircraft with an open architecture that allows for independent integration of new equipment or weaponry elements.
The Israeli version has different avionics from the American version, provided by the Elbit corporation, and can utilise an exciting local range of weaponry. A good example here is the Rafael SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) gliding bombs.
These bombs are conceptually similar to the US JDAM-ER but are closer to the French AASM Hammer, except Israeli bombs do not have a rocket booster. Instead, they add a module with foldable wings, control surfaces, and guidance to standard Mk 82/83/84 bombs weighing approximately 227, 454, or 907 kilograms.
Like French bombs, the guidance warhead is interchangeable and includes the most classic combination of inertial navigation and satellite guidance or an optoelectronic warhead that sees the thermal image of the target, allowing for hit accuracy even against moving objects up to one metre. The range of the bombs, depending on the drop altitude and bomb weight, is between 60 and 125 kilometres.
All of this has given Israel a literally surgical scalpel, allowing for pinpoint attacks anywhere in the Middle East, which would not be feasible with older types of aircraft.
