US Air Force F-35A jets conduct first combat sortie

Two US Air Force F-35A Lightning aircraft conducted an air strike at Wadi Ashai, Iraq.

The sortie was in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and was conducted on the 30th of April 2019.

The F-35As conducted the airstrike using a Joint Direct Attack Munition to strike an entrenched Daesh tunnel network and weapons cache deep in the Hamrin Mountains, a location able to threaten friendly forces.

“We have the ability to gather, fuse and pass so much information that we make every friendly aircraft more survivable and lethal,” said Lt. Col. Yosef Morris, 4th Fighter Squadron commander and F-35A pilot.

“That, combined with low-observable technology, allows us to really complement any combined force package and be ready to support AOR contingencies.”

According to a statement regarding the sortie, the F-35As joined the Combined Forces Air Component team in the U.S. Central Command area of operations on April 15th.

“We have been successful in two Red Flag exercises, and we’ve deployed to Europe and Asia,” said Morris.

A central tenant to the F-35A’s design is its ability to enhance other battlefield assets.

“The F-35A has sensors everywhere, it has advanced radar and it is gathering and fusing all this information from the battlespace in real time,” said Morris.

“Now it has the ability to take that information and share it with other F-35s or even other fourth generation aircraft in the same package that can also see the integrated picture.”