NATO's F‑35A fleet reaches historic numbers in Estonia
The NATO Baltic Air Policing mission has returned to the Ämari airbase in Estonia, where the largest fleet of F-35A aircraft in its history was stationed as part of exercises.
NATO showcased photos on its channel on X (formerly Twitter) from interoperability exercises at the recently renovated Ämari airbase, featuring the currently stationed Dutch contingent of four F-35A aircraft in preparation for more aircraft arrivals.
The subsequent photos depict exercises during the arrival of four additional Dutch F-35A aircraft from the Leeuwarden airbase. This increased the F-35A fleet at the Ämari airbase to eight units, setting a record for this type of aircraft stationed at the Estonian airbase.
F-35A - the modern successor to the aging F-16
F-35A Lightning II is a modern multirole aircraft designed with radar-reducing technology. Initially, it was intended as a strike aircraft to complement the F-22 Raptor, which specializes in air superiority. Over time, however, the F-35A was designed to be more versatile.
One of the F-35A's main advantages, apart from its stealth characteristics, which make it difficult to detect by radar, is its advanced sensor suite. This suite includes the AN/APG-81 radar, or its more modern version, the AN/APG-85, with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna.
The aircraft is also equipped with the AN/AAQ-37 EODAS system, which features six infrared sensors that provide a thermal image of objects. This ensures full 360-degree observation capability, including the detection of passive missile launches. This enables the detection and targeting of threats, even if they are behind the aircraft.
F-35A - an aircraft with limited weapons carrying capability
Despite its numerous advantages, the F-35A has certain limitations. One limitation is the capacity of its internal weapons bays, which can accommodate a maximum of six guided air-to-air AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles or two bombs B61-12 or JDAM-ER. Additional armaments can be mounted on six external pylons, but this compromises the stealth technology benefits.
An additional limitation is the maximum speed that the F-35A can achieve, Mach 1.6, and its inability to reach supersonic speeds without using an afterburner. This significantly limits the effective range capability of, for instance, air-to-air missiles.
