lightning f57
Trusted Member
This also shows importance of having fighter jets with long range BVR weapons. Both US and Israel are using stand off weapons which shows they dont completely control the skys, a fighter jet with those long claws would give them more losses and prevent allot of the civilian infrastructure destruction we have seen.Seems like an F-15E
USAF losses now matching or exceeding those of 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Gulf War.
I think they expected some losses but as mentioned, at this rate capability so eroding.
4 F-15Es
1 F-35 Damaged/write off
2 E-3s
2 C-130 Compass Call
8 (possibly more!?) KC-135s
Even for USAF this presents about 2-3s years worth of attrition. Same as PAF losing 6 planes in 1 month, and imagine of those 6 if 1 was Erieye, 1 was Falcon 20 , 1 was IL-76 and 3 were F-16s.
See my point?
1 more month and if Iran keeps this up, USAF losses will be 35-40 planes. Again, US can take this for sure, but almost all of the above are no longer being manufactured apart from F-35, so these will be a erosion of capability in short/medium term
Again, also add planes they will no need to retire early due to war use/fatigue.
By default this has put PLAAF and PLAAN Air Arm ahead by a year or so simply by standing there watching
Iran strategised a war without an airforce or navy, knowing the economic and civilian cost which tells us they can continue fighting like this for a long while.






