A video shared by Tehran Times claims to show the moment a US F-35 fighter jet was hit during a combat mission over Iranian airspace. The clip shows the aircraft appearing to take damage, with explosions, smoke trails, and the jet veering off course mid-air.
A US F-35 fighter jet was attacked during an Iranian strike and forced to make an emergency landing at a military base in the Middle East, according to CNN. The claim, first made by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), would mark the first known instance of Iran hitting one of the US military’s most advanced and expensive aircraft in the ongoing conflict in Middle East.
According to the IRGC, the stealth jet was struck by air defence systems over central Iran in the early hours of Thursday. A video shared by Tehran Times claims to show the moment a US F-35 fighter jet was hit during a combat mission over Iranian airspace. The clip shows the aircraft appearing to take damage, with explosions, smoke trails, and the jet veering off course midair.
In a statement, the IRGC said it had “struck and seriously damaged” the aircraft at around 2.50 am (local time), adding that the jet’s fate remains unclear and that there is a “high possibility” it may have crashed. The group also said the operation followed the interception of more than 125 US-Israeli drones, calling it evidence of improvements in Iran’s air defence systems.
If confirmed, the incident would mark the first time Iran has successfully targeted an F-35, a fifth-generation fighter jet that costs more than $100 million and is considered a cornerstone of US air power. Both the US and Israel have been deploying F-35s extensively since the conflict escalated on February 28.
US CONFIRMS EMERGENCY LANDING, PLAYS DOWN DAMAGE
According to CNN, US Central Command said the aircraft was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing. “The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told CNN. “This incident is under investigation.”
However, Washington has not issued any official statement. The Pentagon said its operations are going as planned, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth saying the US is “winning decisively” and that Iran’s air defences have been “flattened”.
Amid escalating conflict, at least 16 US aircraft have reportedly been destroyed since the start of the war, including 10 Reaper drones, while several others have been damaged in combat or accidents.
[ADDENDUM]
The actual video of the event, plus more, from The Hindustan Times:
Things lit up like a Christmas tree. You call that stealth?!
“stealth” is just marketing to make development 4 times more experiences. so it can funnel more public funds to shareholders.
Stealth just means the plane can get closer before a sensor can detect it or get a firing solution. It doesn’t mean it’s invisible. The IR video looks pretty close to the plane considering you can make out what plane it is just by the shape. Probably US intelligence didn’t know about this sensor and would have flown around it/attempted to destroy it if they had known.
So what you’re saying is the $2 trillion dollar effort to generate a stealth aircraft did not consdier the concept of a network of seemingly good enough IR sensors, maybe operating in a swarm, maybe ground based, maybe aerial, maybe both?
You’re saying that just having a lot of networked IR sensors renders… the most advanced and expensive stealth aircraft on the planet… not stealth?
Considering stealth usually refers to radar detection, which can pick up aircraft hundreds of miles away… Yea. It was never meant to defeat “looking at it” as a detection method.
Thats not correct, but ok.
Stealth refers to reducing detectability.
At any potential range, via any potential means.
A hybrid electric APC is stealthier, because its not as loud when its using the E-Drive.
Even for jets, for a long time now, reducing IR signature has been a major consideration in terms of not being detectable, or targetable.
Motion detection, silhoutte identification, acoustic sensors, lidar…
The entire point of stealth is indeed to reduce the various possible forms of ‘looking at it’ to not be combat effective.
Either way, it was seen and it was hit. Most certainly not helped by being in afterburner, looks like it was per the video.