Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Iran on March 20 claimed to have become the first nation in the world to strike an US F-35 Lightning 2, the backbone of the US’s fifth-generation warfighting capabilities. Over 19 countries have already flown or are preparing to fly the Lightning 2, which is in great demand both within the USAF and among its allies.
A CNN report, citing US defence officials, confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iraninan surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet in central Iran airspace.
According to a statement released by the IRGC on its official news website, the jet was struck at 2:50 a.m. local time by the IRGC’s advanced, modern air defense systems. “The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high,” it said.
The IRGC noted that the interception follows the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iran’s defense systems, signaling significant and purposeful upgrades in the country’s integrated air defense network.
The CNN report from the incident, citing US defence officials, noted that a US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire.
