American platform: The Houthis prove the possibility of downing a fighter jet, and the US is in the F-35 dilemma

The American platform 19FortyFive published an analytical article titled “The Houthis Prove the Possibility of Downing an F-35 Fighter Jet,” which sheds light on an incident that almost caused the downing of an American stealth F-35 aircraft over Yemeni airspace, which caused astonishment in American military circles and prompted many to question the readiness of this fighter in confrontations at the highest level.

Follow ups – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:

The article stated that a surface-to-air missile fired by the Houthi air defenses came dangerously close to an F-35 fighter, forcing the pilot to perform a sharp maneuver to survive, in an incident described as almost leading to a “devastating loss” in the ranks of the US Air Force, noting that although the Houthis possess an arsenal described as undeveloped, they were able to shoot down seven American drones within one month, which hindered the work of the American command and confused its plans.

It added that the attack that targeted the F-35 aircraft is not an isolated case but came after targeting F-16 aircraft and others of the F/A-18 type, leading to the crash of two aircraft in the Red Sea and the death of two pilots.

This forced the US Department of Defense to review its air strategy and the effectiveness of its fighters in hostile environments, stressing that these developments undermine what was believed about the F-35 aircraft as unbreakable.

The platform said that despite its complex stealth design and advanced technologies, it was not immune to the threat of the Houthi systems, which rely on a mixture of old Soviet air defense systems and modified Iranian technologies. It quoted an American official as saying that the Houthi missile approached close enough to force the F-35 to maneuver, and this may be the first announced incident indicating the possibility of this advanced aircraft being hit in a low-complexity combat environment.

It explained that the cost of the American campaign exceeded the results, as an expensive air front was established and huge quantities of precision-guided ammunition were consumed, which were supposed to be allocated for the potential confrontation with major powers such as China or Russia.

The article pointed out that the continued reliance of the United States on this campaign threatens the security of defense supply chains, which are still fragile after the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as excessive spending on an environment like Yemen may weaken the American ability on other, more dangerous strategic fronts.

The platform stressed at the end of its article that the Houthis’ ability to threaten the F-35 fighter jet is not only a moral blow to the American aviation industry but also a strategic warning signal that casts doubt on the feasibility of deploying fifth-generation aircraft in conflicts where technical costs are low and the element of “unconventional surprise” is high.