US Swiftly Upgrades Israeli F-35s in Response to Hamas Attack, Officials Confirm

The United States has expedited capability updates to Israel's F-35 fighters following the Hamas attack on October 7. Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the program executive officer for the F-35, confirmed that improvements were rushed to Israel after the deadly attack. The U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, Bill LaPlante, stated that the F-35 program was able to quickly provide updated mission data files to Israel. Israel currently has 35 of its 39 F-35s operating and carrying out missions, with increased support to maximize aircraft readiness. The F-35 Joint Program Office has accelerated weapons capabilities and spare parts flow to support Israel's efforts against Hamas.