In a development that has sent shockwaves through the global military community, Iranian armed forces on Thursday successfully targeted a US Air Force F-35 Lightning II, one of the world's most advanced stealth fighter jets.
It marks a potential turning point in modern aerial warfare and has sparked intense debate about the viability of stealth technology against determined, innovative opponents.
According to military pundits, it’s the first time ever that an F-35 jet has been struck.
The first reports emerged from an open source account, which said an F-35A/B Lightning II had “made an emergency landing” after being hit by an Iranian surface-to-air fire.
“We are aware of reports that a U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins of CENTCOM later said in a statement to Military Times.
Social media has been abuzz with reactions to the major development, which has shaken the US-military-industrial complex since Thursday, particularly regarding the staggering cost of the F-35 program compared to the means of its neutralization
Analyst Will Schryver said CENTCOM has confessed that the Iranians successfully targeted and "damaged" an F-35 flying in Iranian airspace."
While CENTCOM claimed the aircraft made an emergency landing and the pilot was in stable condition, Schryver expressed skepticism, pointing to video footage from Iran that "clearly shows a plume of flame trailing behind the jet after the strike."
