Seems to knock the biggest holes in the story:

https://nitter.poast.org/RealScottRitter/status/1781862574025314378#m

'Regarding Pepe Escobar’s post about an Israeli F-35 with a nuclear weapon/EMP over Iran:

Why an F-35?

Stealth?

Then you’re limited to a weapon that can be carried in its internal weapons bay.

We are now talking about an ASAT-type weapon—a missile launched from a plane that can make it to outer space.

(Anti-Satellite=ASAT)

Israel has no such weapon.

And if it did, it couldn’t fit in the internal weapons bay of an F-35.

Now, if Pepe had said that the aircraft was an F-15, we could entertain such a possibility, especially when including the need for externally mounting this weapon.

But he said F-35.

This kills the story right off the bat.

But, just playing along, let’s assume the Israelis built an ASAT-type weapon that could fit into the internal weapons bay of an F-35, or—just spitballing here—the Israelis decided to forego any effort of stealth and mount the missile externally, like the Russian Kinzhal/Mig-31 duo.

What size warhead could it carry?

The AIR-2 Genie air-to-air missile had a 1.5 kiloton warhead.

Why is this important?

Most Cold War EMP scenarios envisioned weapons of yields between 1 and 10 megatons.

The size of a warhead deliverable into outer space from an F-35 platform would be very small.

Without getting into the physics of nuclear weapons design/gamma ray generation potential, any realistic nuclear warhead that could fit on a missile deliverable into space by an F-35 would be of a very small yield.

As such, the size of the territory adversely impacted by the EMP produced would be very small.

As such, the scenario postulated by Pepe Escobar’s source is extremely risk averse, with little or no meaningful impact.

In short, it doesn’t make sense, even if it was able to be carried out, which it isn’t.'

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further comments

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Ἀπdreω Ἀββαδδ @ParadigmSlip
Replying to @RealScottRitter
So it's believable if it was an F-15?

Scott Ritter @RealScottRitter
Only if Israel had an ASAT- type nuclear weapon designed to generate EMP.

Which it doesn’t.

And you still have the issue with warhead size.

The whole premise is ridiculous.


Sharmine Narwani @snarwani
I don't think its worth getting mired in these details. 1) we don't know what capabilities Israel has today, 2) the details of @RealPepeEscobar's scoop may not have been conveyed accurately to him, 3) the most important part of this story is a Russian intervention to thwart an Israeli strike on Iran. That suggests the strategic military relationship between the RIC alliance is way more advanced than suspected. And that all hands are now on deck.


Scott Ritter@RealScottRitter
Details are important.

They are the stones upon which the foundation of credibility is built.

I could provide a similar breakdown about why a Russian interception of an Israeli F-35 aircraft over Jordan/Iraq is implausible.

Pepe’s source fails on the details.


The Saaint@Saa_int
WASHINGTON — The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter has been operationally certified to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) tells Breaking Defense.Mar 8, 2024


Scott Ritter @RealScottRitter
Now launch the B-61 into space.

From the F-35.

Do you begin to see the flaw in your argument?