
Israel’s success last fall in knocking out Iranian air defenses, in large part with the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built F-35 fighter, showcases why the fifth-generation aircraft is necessary amid concerns that the Trump administration has a sour view of the multi-role platform, the company’s chief said this week. Citing open-source reporting, Jim Taiclet highlighted that the October 2024 attack by Israel’s air forces against Iranian air defenses and other targets was a “lopsided victory” while the Israelis were unscathed. That attack…