A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said the fifth-generation stealth jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing. Hawkins said the aircraft landed safely and the incident is under investigation.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation.”
The incident would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft in the war started in late February. Both the US and Israel are flying F-35s in the conflict; the aircraft costs upwards of $100 million.
The emergency landing comes as senior US officials continue to claim widespread success in its campaign against Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning that the US is “winning decisively” and that Iran’s air defenses have been “flattened.”
Posted by John3262005
4 Comments
I mean they have operating with impunity for like a month, With who knows how many sorties so something like this was bound to happen. If the 35 landed it wasn’t that bad of a hit
Aircraft built to penetrate the most advanced air defences gets damaged by a country with supposedly no air defences
If this becomes the new “Serbians shot down an F-117” I will personally find Pierre Sprey’s grave and [REDACTED]
> The incident would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft in the war started in late February. Both the US and Israel are flying F-35s in the conflict; the aircraft costs upwards of $100 million.
This seemed dubious to me but yep, F-35 prices have finally exceeded the $100mil mark once engines are included. I guess this is just a factor of general inflation as well as delays and cost overruns for new upgrade. In the early 2020s they were being bought at $80mil-$85mil a piece.