Russian disinformation targets F‑35's arctic capabilities
According to the defenseromania portal, Russian disinformation regarding F-35 fighters has reached an unimaginable level, surprising even the Americans. Following a recent crash of this type of aircraft in Alaska, Russian propagandists began spreading false claims that the F-35 could not handle harsh weather conditions.
On 29 January, an F-35 fighter belonging to the U.S. Air Force crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The defenseromania portal highlights publications in American media, which emphasise that there is not the slightest evidence of a connection between the fighter crash and Arctic weather conditions.
Lt. Col. Łukasz Treder, from the team responsible for integrating the F-35 into the Polish Armed Forces, also addressed the incident. He advised waiting for the Americans' final findings, emphasising that the disclosed information indicates that the pilot reported an emergency during the flight.
How Russians are writing about the F-35 crash
The Russian agency TASS, citing local experts, claims that American F-35s are prone to malfunctions, with the recent incident serving as an example of the operational performance of the world's most expensive aircraft in Arctic conditions.
American journalists from "The National Interest" emphasise, on the other hand, that numerous F-35 missions have been conducted in extreme weather conditions. The U.S. Air Force and several other NATO countries have operated this type of aircraft for many years.
The F-35 operated in challenging conditions
Over 50 F-35 fighters have been stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska since 2022. Since 2017, Norway has been operating its F-35s at the Ørland Air Base. The Finnish Air Force also decided to introduce fighters produced by Lockheed Martin, systematically demonstrating, for instance, during the Baana exercises with the participation of British F-35s, that NATO fighters can efficiently operate in the Nordic region, including taking off and landing in areas with harsh conditions.
Experts recall not only the manufacturer's assurances regarding the F-35's ability to operate in severe weather conditions but also this fighter's appropriate design and equipment. "The National Interest" mentions, among other things, a special drag chute designed to assist with landing on icy runways and in anticipated strong wind gusts.
According to The National Interest, while the F-35 does have some challenges to overcome, such as low availability, operating in the Arctic is not one of them—despite claims made by Russian propaganda.
The Defenseromania portal also recalls a situation from 2018 when Romanian F-16s did not take off due to "weather conditions and a frozen runway." The decision was made because the flight was to be part of the celebrations of one of the national holidays, and the authorities saw no reason to take any risk. At that time, Russian propaganda also seized the opportunity to criticise NATO aviation, which Russians claimed would be non-operational on icy runways.
