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A briefing note for journalists on the F-35i’s role in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza

By AOAV on
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Since before the 7th October attack by Hamas, Israel has been waging war on Gaza with state of the art weaponry and the fifth-generation aircraft, the F-35. But, especially, since that date there have been at least 70,000 Palestinian deaths and over 171,000 injuries (Statistica, 2026). Much of this harm has come from airpower.

Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35I Adir /
IDF Spokesperson’s Unit photographer

Israel currently has 48 F-35’s – with 27 more on order (Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), 2026). It has even designed its own modifications to create the ‘F-35i Adir’.

These modifications include extended fuel tanks, additional payloads – known as beast mode (Times of Israel, 2026) – and additional electronic warfare systems (National Security Journal, 2025).

The role of the F-35i in Gaza is not only to cause mass damage but to also collect and provide on the ground intelligence. The AN/APG-81 AESA radar can detect, precisely locate, and map out threats on the ground and send the information to ground forces and command central. IAF pilots have also stated that they provide ground forces with an “umbrella with enormous firepower” and support ground troops at ranges as close as 200m (Danwatch, 2024).

Ground troops can call in air support during firefights with a wait time of a couple of minutes before bombs are dropped on a desired location (Danwatch, 2024).

The F-35i is therefore used to suppress, weaken, and destroy enemy locations whilst simultaneously sending real time data to ground troops about to close in.

The F-35i has a large range of munitions at its disposable, both in volume and in function. The munitions carriage of a standard F-35i Adir can carry an internal payload of 5,700 pounds and, when configured into “Beast Mode”, can carry up to 22,000 pounds of internal and external munitions.

According to Lockheed Martin, “Beast Mode” usually comes in the form of 2 AMRAAMS, 6 JDAM’s and 2 Sidewinders (The National Interest, 2025). The use of this higher calibre configuration comes at the cost of the jet’s stealth abilities. However, from its frequent use by Israel and therefore lack of stealth, it can be assumed that contesting air-space is not its primary function. Rather, it is for air to ground support, suppression and targeting.

The weapons that can be fitted to this jet are many. They include:

  • The Python 5 AAM (air-to-air-missile):
    • Carried externally on the wings
    • Manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems in Israel
  • AIM 9x Sidewinder
    • Supersonic AAM
    • Usually stored on outer pylons
    • Manufactured by Raytheon in U.S.A
  • AIM 120 AMRAAM
    • Medium range AAM
    • Stored internally
    • Allows ‘beyond visual range engagements’
    • Manufactured by Raytheon, U.S.A
  • GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition)
    • Constructed from a 2000-pound unguided MK-84 bomb with internal navigation added to make precision guided smart weapons.
    • Designed to take down large structures and buildings
    • Can typically damage within a 300-meter radius
    • Manufactured by Boeing in U.S.A
    • MK-84 (also being dropped) is manufactured by Rheinmetall in Italy
  • GBU-32 JDAM
    • Same as the GBU-31 JDAM but with an MK-83 1000-pound payload
  • GBU-12 Paveway II
    • Laser guided bombs
    • Based on MK-82 with 500-pound payload
    • Blast radius: 20 meters 
    • Manufactured by Lockheed Martin
  • GBU-39 SDB (Small diameter bomb)
    • GPS guided
    • Contains a 250-pound payload
    • Manufactured by Boeing in U.S.A
  • SPICE 2000
    • Israel’s version of GBU-31
  • SPICE 1000
    • Israel’s version of GBU-32

Specific information around what strikes were caused by the F-35i is not shared. However, what we do know is that as of October 2025, there has been over 11,100 air and drone strikes on Gaza (ACLED, 2025) and that the use of F-35i’s are five times higher than the normal rate since October 7th (Aviation Week, 2024).

From a representative of Al-Haq in the court case against UK Government, it was claimed that Israeli pilots have completed 15,000 hours and 8,000 missions since October 7th (The Guardian, 2025).

Further sources reported F-35 pilots in 2025 working “around the clock” (GLAN, 2025).

A report from December 2023 stated that 29,000 munitions had been dropped since the start of the conflict, and of those counted, 90% of them were either a 1000- or 2000-pound payload (Explosive Weapons Monitor, 2023). It can be assumed that many of these were GBU-31/MK-84’s from the U.S.A as 14,000 were sent in the first few months of the conflict as well as 2,600 SDB’s (Reuters, 2024).

It is also not clear how many of the payloads were delivered by an F-35i as there are also F-15’s and F-16’s in use and can drop the same munitions. There are also fewer F-35i’s compared to the F-15 and F-16 meaning likelihood of an F-35i being the operating aircraft is slimmer.

There has been one incident of confirmed F-35i use on a strike in an Al- Mawasi humanitarian camp in 2024 where 3 GBU-31’s were dropped, killing 90 and inuring 300 people (Campaign Against Arms Trade, 2024).

The bottom line is that F-35i’s are definitely in use in Gaza by Israel and have the capability of dropping thousands of pounds of warheads in one mission to devastating results.

It is also a fair assumption that from the level of destruction that has occurred in Gaza, 1000- and 2000-pound payloads have been used in high volumes which the F-35i can carry. Although there are not official documents available, the statements from pilots and reports on flight times can confirm F-35i’s are being used as much as possible.

The impact from the remaining 27 jets to be delivered is yet to be seen, and with current conflicts extending to Iran, the F-35i is likely to go back to its stealth oriented origins.

References