However, its claim has not been confirmed yet. At the same time, Israel has said that most of the missiles fired by Iran were shot down in the air. F-35 fighter planes have been in the news since this attack by Iran. This ultra-modern aircraft is famous for its unmatched technology, combat capability as well as its expensive price.
US company Lockheed Martin manufactures the F-35 fighter jet. Israel is the only country in the Middle East to have F-35s. It is the world's most advanced fighter jet. It is equipped with stealth capabilities and can be used for intelligence gathering, deep strikes into enemy territory and aerial combat. In May 2018, the Israeli military said it had become the first country to use F-35s in combat.
Israel had signed a deal to buy 25 advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US in June this year. The deal was struck for $3 billion. The cost of each F-35 aircraft was reported to be around $82.5 million (Rs 684.75 crore). Not only is buying the F-35 expensive, but flying it is also very expensive. The F-35 costs around $40,000 per hour of flying, while other aircraft such as the F-16 cost $26,000.
Under the agreement reached in June 2024, Lockheed Martin will start delivering these aircraft to Israel in 2028. The Israeli Defense Ministry had then said that the number of Israel's F-35 aircraft under this deal would increase to 75. The ministry had said in a statement, "Delivery of aircraft to the army will begin in 2028, and three to five aircraft will be supplied every year." There are many special reasons behind the high cost of the F-35 that make it so expensive. The F-35 is a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft that includes stealth technology, advanced sensors and networking capabilities. Its radar cross-section is only 0.005 square meters, which makes it very difficult for enemies to detect. The maintenance of the F-35 is also very expensive. Apart from this, Lockheed Martin spends money like water in upgrading the F-35.
There are very few suppliers who make spare parts for the F-35. Because of this, the company gets the parts very expensive and their repair work also takes a lot of time. This increases the cost of the F-35. In 2023, about 10,000 spare parts were pending for repair. Due to all these factors, the F-35 is considered an expensive but state-of-the-art fighter aircraft.
