According to new reporting from the New York Times, a Houthi surface-to-air (SAM) missile barely missed an American F-35 fifth-generation fighter, the crown jewel of the U.S. fighter inventory. The F-35, participating in Operation Rough Rider against the Houthis, was forced to take evasive action to avoid the missile.
The incident raises questions about the survivability of one of America’s most advanced fighters, and raises concerns over how effective the relatively unsophisticated Houthi air defense system has been at hampering U.S. action.
I don’t see what’s so complicated. You’re a guy with a missile launcher. You look up, and see an F-35. You shoot a missile at it.
This is the most expensive, supposedly most advanced stealth fighter jet in the history of the world and it took a budget of trillions of dollars to develop. It’s a big deal that a jet that costs about a hundred million to get and needs expensive mainteinance for every hour of use could feasibly be destroyed by a weapon that costs tens of thousands of dollars.