A United States F-35 fighter jet recently had a very close call over Yemen. During an operation, rebels fired a missile that came close enough to the aircraft for the pilot to take sudden evasive action. This event made people question how and where the F-35 should be used.
Expensive Fighter Faces Unexpected Threat
The F-35 is considered one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world. It is designed to fly into enemy territory, avoid detection, and destroy important military targets. But in this case, the aircraft was flying in a region where the enemy did not have the kind of large military setup the F-35 was built to fight.
This jet is part of a huge military program that has cost the U.S. government over two trillion dollars. The fighter is supposed to work for many decades, and more than 2,000 jets are planned to be built by the year 2049. But the cost is not the only issue. Even though the jet is packed with new technology, it still has several problems. It often needs software updates, and its parts can break down. Between 2021 and 2024, the Air Force’s F-35 version became less reliable, with fewer planes ready for missions.
This recent incident over Yemen has raised serious concerns. If the rebels had actually hit the jet, it would have been a major loss, not just in terms of money but also in confidence in the aircraft’s abilities. People are now asking why such an expensive and advanced plane was flying a mission in an area filled with smaller, scattered targets instead of major military sites.
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Jet Designed for Bigger Battles
The F-35 is made to fight in high-risk war zones. In big wars, where enemies have strong air defenses, the jet is expected to fly deep into enemy space, destroy radar systems, and take out important facilities. It has stealth features, which means it can fly without being easily spotted on radar. It also carries advanced missiles that can strike targets from far away.
In places like Syria, where airstrikes have focused on very specific targets, the F-35 has been used effectively. But in Yemen, the situation is different. The rebels there are not a formal army. They do not have large airbases or massive radar setups. Their forces are spread out in small groups across the country. This makes it hard for the F-35 to be used in the way it was designed.
The mission in Yemen involved trying to hit command centers and leadership structures hidden in different areas. That meant the jets had to fly many missions without clear, fixed targets. This increased the risk of running into hidden surface-to-air missiles.
Experts have pointed out that the rebels in Yemen have gained access to more powerful weapons in recent years. From 2015 to 2022, air attacks in Yemen showed that these rebels could shoot down aircraft if they had the right tools and the right chance. Using the F-35 in such a situation may not have been the best choice.
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Mission Planning and Jet Use Under Scrutiny
The cost of each F-35 is very high. The version used by the Air Force costs over $82 million. The Navy and Marine versions are even more expensive. Despite this, the jets are still facing technical issues. In many cases, they are unable to perform all their missions due to software or part problems. Some versions can only perform limited tasks until full updates are done, which could take years.
What happened in Yemen has shown that even the most modern fighter is not safe if used in the wrong type of mission. In conflicts like Vietnam decades ago, aircraft were also lost when flying missions in areas with hidden threats. In those cases, it wasn’t always about the plane but more about the nature of the battle and the planning behind it.
In this recent operation, the F-35 was used in a campaign that did not match its strengths. It was not targeting big radar systems or airbases. Instead, it was flying over areas where enemy weapons could be hiding anywhere. This made the mission more dangerous than expected. When the missile came close, it showed that even top technology can be at risk if not used wisely.
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Fighter jets are not magic machines. They can be hit, especially when the mission doesn’t play to their strengths. No plane is completely safe in war. What matters is how and where it is used. The recent incident over Yemen has started a serious conversation about that. People are now looking closely at how these expensive jets are being sent into battle — and whether those missions make sense for the aircraft.
The U.S. military owns over 600 F-35s today, but not all of them are fully ready for war. This adds more weight to the need for careful planning. With so much money and effort spent on making the F-35 the most advanced jet in the world, its missions must match its design and purpose. The recent close call is a reminder that even powerful tools need the right task — or they may fail when it matters most.