The new simulator for the F-35 multirole fighter has been inaugurated recently at Nevatim IAF airbase. The southern airbase has been preparing, over the last few months, for the arrival of the "Adir" (the IAF designation for the F-35) aircraft, the first batch of which is expected in late 2016. In the context of these preparations, various infrastructure operations are under way at the airbase, to facilitate prompt, efficient absorption of the first fifth-generation aircraft delivered to the IAF.

The F-35 simulator facility consists of a cockpit and a display system of multiple screens positioned in front of it. This is not a full simulator with a wide panoramic screen but a demonstrator enabling familiarization with the aircraft systems and flight characteristics. The objective is to enable the pilots to obtain a first-hand impression of the aircraft systems and performance.

The demonstrator enables the user to perform combat missions in various scenarios, operate passive and active sensors, electronic warfare systems and weapon delivery systems, and the display includes various terrain features and can present ground and aerial targets as well as such threats as anti-aircraft systems.

Mr. Steve Over, Director of F-35 International Business Development, and F-35 Chief Test Pilot Alan Norman were in charge of the presentation of the new demonstrator. Steve Over reviewed the primary characteristics of the aircraft which stem from the fact that it is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

The F-35 will enable the IAF to cope with such new threats as the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile system which is about to be introduced to the region, using the aircraft's stealth characteristics. These characteristics, along with the aircraft's reduced Radar cross-section, will enable it to get closer to the target and attack it without being detected.

The new multirole fighter is fitted with state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems capable of monitoring and identifying Radar systems attempting to lock onto the aircraft, spotting the precise location of those systems and jamming them. The F-35 carries the world's most advanced active Radar system, which enables it to identify and track a large number of targets, on the ground and in the air. The aircraft also carries an electro-optical system, including an infrared sensor, with high resolution and magnification characteristics, enabling target identification and engagement from long distances. The system enables the pilot to display a complete picture of the world on his helmet visor, including objects located on the ground, directly below the aircraft.

The datalink communication system of the F-35 links it to other aircraft in the air as well as to ground stations, so that information, threat and target data may be exchanged among the various aircraft and between them and the ground control center. This feature makes it possible for a small number of aircraft to scan a very large territory using a range of sensors and obtain a complete, unified status picture of the threats facing the aircraft throughout the combat zone.

The stealth capability of the F-35 relies on several parameters: the ability to carry a substantial fuel load inside the airframe, the ability to carry a diversified range of munitions in internal bomb bays, an engine in which the moving parts are concealed and whose Radar reflection is very small, panels that may be sealed very simply after opening and closing and internal antennae and sensors.

These features will enable the IAF to base a strike force on a smaller number of aircraft and employ simple, direct combat tactics. While during the first Gulf War USAF had employed a strike force of 100 aircraft against heavily defended targets (interceptors, strike fighters, EW aircraft, command and control aircraft, refueling tankers), in the age of the F-35, a similar strike force will be significantly reduced to just a few dozen aircraft. At the same time, such complex combat tactics as a combined attack from several directions, attempts to deceive the opponent's Radar systems and spotting blind areas will be simplified for two reasons: the F-35 fighter's ability to identify threats from a longer distance owing to its state-of-the-art systems and sensors, and its ability to get closer to the targets owing to its stealth characteristics.

As stated, the first pair of F-35 multirole fighters will land at Nevatim IAF airbase in late 2016. A few months before this pair arrives in Israel, the setup team will depart to the USA in order to attend a conversion course in which its members will study the operation of the aircraft and the maintenance aspects. Until then, a full simulator will be installed at Nevatim, and that simulator will serve as a primary layer in the training of the new generation of pilots who would fly the advanced fighter aircraft.