F-35s Advance ‘Wild Weasel’ Mission

F-35s are taking on one of the U.S. Air Force’s most dangerous jobs: flying first over hostile ground to take out enemy air defenses.

The recent arrival of the service’s first permanently-stationed 5th Generation jets at Misawa Air Base, Japan, ushers in a new era for Pacific Air Forces and allied deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

5th Air Force, 5th Gen Jet

At Misawa, the 35th Fighter Wing is advancing the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), better known as the “Wild Weasel” mission – now armed with the world’s most advanced fighter jet.

The 5th Air Force wing and its F-16s have long supported U.S. operations in Southwest Asia with the regular deployments to combat theaters as well as regional exercises in the Pacific Rim.

Transitioning to the F-35 as Pacific Air Forces “Wild Weasel” fighter capability and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific strengthens PACAF’s theater capabilities.

Made to evade

“The F-35 was tailor made to be a weasel platform,” said Lt. Col. John Widmer, 13th Fighter Squadron commander.

“Where legacy platforms performed the Wild Weasel mission with bolted-on sensors or weapons, the F-35 was built from the ground up as a sensor platform with the sensor fusion and quarterback capability we bring to the fight.”

Advanced sensor fusion gives F-35 pilots an integrated, intuitive view of their surroundings that greatly enhances survivability and effectiveness.

“The [F-35’s] sensor package we bring to the fight allows us to sense the threat and manage the entire spectrum of what the enemy is fielding at us right now,” Widmer added.

“It’s constantly updating, constantly getting upgraded, and as we continue forward, it’s the place I want to be if I need to go to war.”

‘First in, last out’

Although the Wild Weasel concept was originally developed in the 1960s, the mission endures.

In June 2025, U.S. Air Force F-35s suppressed Iran's air defenses, clearing the way for other combat aircraft during Operation Midnight Hammer.

“[Operation Rough Rider] is the first time anyone has been shot at in 20 years – actually carrying out the Wild Weasel mission,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Aaron Osborne, Commander, 34th Fighter Squadron.

“It’s the first time we’re carrying novel weapons on the F-35, bombing into tunnels, double-tapping targets with deep-penetration weapons.”