If this reduces the number of attacking air factors below the number of defending air factors, inversion of the defender's air factors is no longer automatic, and depends on the outcome of normal air combat between the surviving, undamaged attackers and the defenders. Jets thus introduce an element of uncertainly into the opposing side's calculations. The attacker counterairs a hex containing uninverted jets. Combat is optional. Otherwise one attacking air factor could force several jets to invert.
Uninverted jets are unaffected by counterair attacks unless they choose to engage the attackers.
The defender lose one air factor and one jet. The provisions of 26.65 apply to forces containing both air factors and jets. If the defender did not have enough air factors and interceptors to counter all the strategic bombers which were not eliminated by the jets, he would have to transfer an air factor to the SW box. Air supply may only be flown as a limited offensive operation during an attrition option if the supplying player has at least as many friendly, uninverted air factors within range of the target unit available for offensive operations as the defender has uninverted air factors. Similarly, air factors belonging to a major power which must pass may not be used to gain air parity, as they may not fly limited offensive operations.