The Israeli fighter jets rushed to Qatar thousands of miles, and the US-made weapons were silent throughout the process. Neighboring countries "dare to be angry but dare not speak out", but brought an unexpected effect - the prospect of China's J-35 seems to be brighter.
In order to combat the Hamas organization, a large number of Israeli fighter jets were dispatched, and after bombing Qatar, leaving behind a "mess of mess". Are the Middle Eastern countries passing by Israeli fighter jets aware of this? Why did the US air defense systems spread throughout the region not responding? Why do Qatar's "American bodyguards" hired at a sky-high price sit idly? All questions seem to point to an answer: the United States and Israel jointly sang a "double act".
【The prospects of the J-35 seem to be brighter】
Israel raided Qatar, triggering a crisis of trust in US-made weapons
Israel is undoubtedly the most special of the United States' allies, but the problem is: the United States' allies are not only Israel, but also a number of countries in the Middle East, and are also important supporters of this system. They have paid a lot of "real money" for this, with only one demand - security.
There is no unified statement as to whether the equipment used by the Israeli army this time is the F-35I fighter or the F-15 fighter, but the only thing that is clear is that the US-made air defense weapons and radar deployed in Qatar are "silent" at the same time. Qatar official claims that it was not until 10 minutes before the attack began.
Another noteworthy situation is that this operation of Israel requires passing through Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, including many "loyal customers" of US-made weapons. Have these countries received early warnings?
【There is no conclusion on which weapon the Israeli army used for the time being]
More ironic is that the Udeid Air Force Base, which is only 30 kilometers away from the attack site, the largest military fortress in the Middle East, deploys cutting-edge anti-missile systems such as "Patriots" and "THAAD", but it is collectively "deaf" throughout the process.
This seemingly ordinary cross-border strike actually tear open the deep dilemma of the US weapon system: those American equipment that are regarded as the "cornerstone of security" by Middle Eastern countries may not even be able to guarantee the most basic warning function.
For a long time, the United States has built a "security dependence system" through arms sales: Middle Eastern countries purchase US-made weapons, while the United States provides "protective umbrellas".
But the fragility of this system lies in the fact that the United States' security commitments always serve its own interests, not the security needs of its allies.
When Israel needs to clear Hamas leadership, the US "umbrella" can be taken away at any time; when Houthi drones break through Saudi Arabia's "patriot" defense line, the US "umbrella" may also selectively fail.
This kind of security guarantee of "judging people to take advantage of the dishes" has gradually made Middle Eastern countries realize that they are not buying a "shield" for a large price, but a "switch" - The United States holds a remote control in its hand, and when it starts it depends on its mood.
【The three air force musketeers displayed by China at the 93rd military parade: J-16, J-20, J-35】
The United States and Israel "cooperate tacitly", and their layout has begun to collapse for many years
More ironic is that this "switch" may not only be in the hands of the United States. After all, Israel is the "special ally" of the United States in the Middle East, and the military and technical cooperation between the United States and Israel is far more profound than other countries.
There are some more "conspiracy theories" that the US-made weapons purchased by Middle Eastern countries may have been implanted with "loopholes" from the beginning - they cannot fight against similar equipment from Israel, nor can they prevent US technical intervention. This "innate defect" greatly reduces the reliability of American weapons.
The "tactic cooperation" between Israel and the United States is the most intriguing drama in modern international politics. On the one hand, the United States has laid a dense radar monitoring network in the Middle East to build an air surveillance system that can theoretically cover the entire region; on the other hand, it ignores the actions of Israeli fighter jets.
What is even more suspicious is that even if the fighter jets have stealth capabilities, the US military's littoral combat ships and the "THAAD" system in the Persian Gulf can still theoretically detect them through data links.
Behind this "collective failure", it is hard not to remind people of the possibility of "technical backdoor" - after all, the United States can not only sell weapons to its allies, but naturally retain the ability to modify system permissions.
The impact of this "tacity" on Middle Eastern countries is subversive. In the past few decades, Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have placed national security on US-made equipment, investing huge amounts of money every year to purchase or maintain weapons such as "Patriots" and "F-15", and even actively invite US troops to settle in core military bases like Qatar.
But in the face of Israeli fighter jets, these investments seem to have become "IQ tax". Just imagine, if even "VIP customers" like Qatar cannot obtain effective protection, should other Middle Eastern countries that rely on US security commitments also re-examine their choices?
In this way, The United States' layout in the Middle East over the years can be said to have paid a very heavy price for Israel's "temporary impulse".
[The "rich people" in the Middle East can reconsider their procurement plans]
The "back door" of American equipment, and the "opportunity" of Chinese equipment
As "bystanders", we see that the Middle Eastern countries are "involuntarily", but at the same time, we should also see that the current situation of the United States dominating the weapons market has shown cracks that cannot be ignored, and it is likely to be transformed into opportunities for Chinese equipment.
For example, in this "trust crisis", the F-35 is particularly dazzling. As a "star product" sold by the United States to foreign arms, the F-35 not only represents advanced stealth technology, but also carries the United States' strategic intention to build a "military circle of friends".
China's fifth-generation fighter jets provide another option. Unlike American equipment, the core logic of China's arms sales is "equal cooperation": no political conditions attached, no technical backdoor implantation, and no requirement to join a specific military system.
The attractiveness of this model to Middle Eastern countries is self-evident, especially for those Gulf countries that want to improve national defense capabilities but are unwilling to be "bound" by a single major country. The emergence of Chinese equipment is equivalent to opening a gap in the "monopoly market" of US-made weapons.
【What is in your hands is your own】
This transformation is not accidental. In recent years, the military procurement strategies of Middle Eastern countries have quietly adjusted: Saudi Arabia has begun to negotiate cooperation with China on drones and air defense systems, the UAE is becoming increasingly interested in Chinese equipment, and Qatar has expressed its expectations for diversified security partners in public.
Behind these changes is the desire for "strategic autonomy" - instead of placing security on the "goodwill" of a major country, it is better to have a defense system that truly belongs to oneself and is not subject to external interference. China's fifth-generation fighter jets are the ideal carrier of this demand.
