Israeli F-35I Adir stealth fighters suppressed Russian-made S-400 air defenses inside Iran without losing a single aircraft during the recent operation. The S-400 Triumf has a range of 249 miles, can track 80 targets simultaneously, and fires the Mach 14 40N6 interceptor. Russia considers the system comparable to the American Patriot PAC-3 or THAAD. The F-22 Raptor’s extremely low radar cross-section makes it hard for the S-400’s early-warning radar to lock on. The F-35 acts as a flying quarterback, detecting SAM batteries and sharing targeting data across the strike package. Operation Epic Fury used Tomahawk cruise missiles first, then F-22 and F-35 follow-on strikes. Ukraine has suppressed Russian S-400s with the indigenous FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile.
F-22 and F-35 vs. Russia S-400 Air Defense: Who Wins?
F-35I Adir High in the Sky. Image Credit: IDF/Creative Commons.
F-35I Adir Fighter. Image Credit: Israeli Air Force.
What is the best air defense system in the world?
If you said the Russian-made S-400, you would not be far off.
The Triumf is one noteworthy surface-to-air missile defender.
How would a fifth-generation fighter jet like the F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II do against the S-400?
This would be a difficult matchup for pilots of those two stealth warbirds. It’s not something to take lightly.
Yet the F-35 and F-22 are designed to penetrate deep into enemy airspace and evade some of the world’s best SAM systems. The S-400 is the successor to the vaunted and historic S-300 air defender. The S-400 came online in 2007. It can also take out drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The Russians consider their S-400 comparable to the American Patriot PAC-3 or THAAD air defenses.
Quick Specs on the S-400
The S-400 has a range of 249 miles and primarily uses the 40N6 interceptor, but it can also be outfitted with other missiles to down enemy projectiles and aircraft. The S-400 can achieve radar lock on larger aircraft out to 372 miles.
Israel’s F-35I Adir Fighter. Image credit: Creative Commons
The Triumf can amazingly target up to 80 bogeys simultaneously. The 40N6 interceptor can move at MACH 14, so pilots must react quickly to a launch. The interceptor engages targets at a maximum altitude of 18 miles.
The S-400 interceptors use semi-active and active radar homing for targeting.
S-400 SAMs do not act alone. They are part of an integrated network of other short-range SAMs, such as the S-300, and work with radar and command-and-control centers to create a shield that is difficult to penetrate.
What the F-22 Brings to the Table
The F-22 is challenging for the S-400. The Raptor has an extremely low radar cross-section, making it difficult to identify and track. Its MACH 2.25 speed gives it another advantage. The F-22’s range is 760 miles. The Raptor is a great dogfighter capable of conducting ground-strike missions.
Raptors Can Take Out an S-400 Before It Can Fire
The F-22 would be difficult for the S-400 to take out. The early warning radar may not capture a good enough image on the scopes to trigger a launch. Plus, the F-22 has excellent electronic warfare capabilities.
It could jam the S-400’s radar. The F-22 can also use JDAMs and Small Diameter Bombs to take down an S-400 system. The F-22 is an ideal platform for suppressing enemy air defenses.
F-22 Raptor in UK. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter Flying. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Eight U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, sit on the flightline, July 9, 2018, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Eight F-22s evacuated from Kadena Air Base, Japan due to Typhoon Maria. The F-22 are deployed under U.S. PACOM’s theater security package (TSP) program, which has been in operation since 2004. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)
The F-35 Is Made to Avoid the S-400
The F-35 is a flying computer that relies on superb networking and sensor fusion. It can also engage in surface strikes and may be better suited to this mission than the F-22. The F-35 can be a quarterback in the sky, and its stealth capabilities are excellent.
The F-35 is slower than the F-22, maxing out at MACH 1.6. The F-35 features a Distributed Aperture System (DAS), an Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), and interoperability with other NATO airplanes.
F-35 ‘Quarterback’ Reduces the S-400s’ Effectiveness
The F-35 would take a different approach to mitigating the S-400. With early-warning sensors, it would detect a SAM battery and share this information with other platforms. This is where the “quarterbacking” begins.
The F-35 also has electronic warfare capabilities. The Lightning II can help guide weapons against the S-400 down to the target.
However, the best way to degrade enemy air defenses equipped with the S-400 is to strike first with Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and then use the F-22 and F-35 for follow-on attacks. This is what the United States did during Operation Epic Fury. That order of battle is a successful grouping of tactics that both fighters would carry out against the S-400.
Israeli F-35Is Versus the S-400
Israel had good success against the S-400 in Iran using the F-35I Adir to penetrate and suppress these SAMs. No F-35I was lost during Israeli operations over Iran. The F-35I features very low observability by enemy radar. The AN/APG-81 AESA radar and Electronic Warfare suites are again just perfect to counter the S-400.
The F-35I was also good at identifying the S-400, so other strike airplanes in the U.S. fleet could engage the SAM to destroy it before it had a chance to take out friendly aircraft.
Ukraine Likes to Take Out S-400s with Cruise Missiles
In Ukraine, the S-400 was also less effective. The Ukrainians were able to fire stand-off missiles to take out the SAMs before they could fire a shot. The indigenous-built FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile has been able to attack SAM sites. This shows that the Russian layered air defense networks can be attritted by Ukrainian projectiles before friendly aircraft are shot down. The Ukrainians have also used overwhelming one-way drone attacks to help suppress enemy air defenses.
The F-22, F-35, F-35I, and various stand-off missiles have reduced the S-400’s effectiveness. The Americans, Israelis, and Ukrainians have collected much intelligence data on how the S-400 is integrated into air defense networks.
They know what they are up against and how to fool its radar and destroy the S-400. The stealthy warbirds, working with other strike aircraft and cruise missiles, can locate the Triumf and ensure its removal from the battlefield. Perhaps the Russians have overrated the S-400, and it is not one of the best SAM systems in the world.
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About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood, PhD
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
