Russian disinformation challenges F‑35's arctic durability
According to the defenseromania portal, Russian disinformation regarding F-35 fighters has reached unprecedented levels, even surprising the Americans. Following a recent crash of this type of aircraft in Alaska, Russian propagandists began spreading false claims that the F-35 could not handle adverse weather conditions.
On January 29, an F-35 fighter belonging to the U.S. Air Force crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. The defenseromania portal highlights reports in the American media that emphasize that no evidence suggests a link between the fighter crash and Arctic weather conditions.
Lt. Col. Łukasz Treder also addressed the incident from the team responsible for integrating the F-35 into the Polish Armed Forces. He advised waiting for the final findings from the Americans, noting that the disclosed information indicates the pilot reported an emergency during the flight.
How Russians are writing about the F-35 crash
The Russian agency TASS, citing local experts, claims that American F-35s are prone to malfunctions, with the recent incident highlighting the operational performance of the world's most expensive aircraft in Arctic conditions.
In contrast, American journalists from "The National Interest" emphasize numerous examples of F-35 missions conducted in extreme weather conditions. This type of aircraft has been operated for many years by the U.S. Air Force and several other NATO countries.
The F-35 operated in challenging conditions
Over 50 F-35 fighters have been stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska since 2022. Since 2017, Norway has been operating its F-35s at Ørland Air Base. The Finnish Air Force also decided to introduce fighters produced by Lockheed Martin, systematically demonstrating, for instance, during the Baana exercises with the participation of British F-35s, that NATO fighters can efficiently operate in the Nordic region, including taking off and landing in areas with harsh conditions.
Experts not only cite the manufacturer's assurances regarding the F-35's ability to operate in severe weather conditions but also highlight the aircraft's design and equipment. "The National Interest" mentions, among other things, a special drag chute designed to assist with landings on icy runways and to handle strong wind gusts.
"It is also absolutely true that the F-35 has some issues to resolve, including addressing its poor availability rate. But the ability to operate from the Arctic isn’t the problem—even if Russian propaganda efforts suggest otherwise," concludes "The National Interest."
The defenseromania portal also recalls a situation from 2018 when Romanian F-16s did not take off due to "weather conditions and a frozen runway." The decision was made because their flight was to be part of the celebrations of one of the national holidays, and the authorities saw no reason to take any risks. At that time, Russian propaganda also seized the opportunity to criticize NATO aviation, claiming it would be non-operational in the case of icy runways.
