Iran Claims Strike on US F-35 Fighter Jet; US Confirms Emergency Landing
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Iran on Thursday claimed to have become the first country in the world to successfully hit a US F-35 Lightning II, one of America’s most expensive and advanced fighter jets, which plays a key role in its fifth-generation military strength.
A CNN report, citing US defence officials, confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet in central Iran’s airspace.
According to a statement released by the IRGC on its official news website on Thursday, 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 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.
The F-35 Lightning II is among the most advanced fighter jets in the world and costs upwards of USD 100 million. Over 19 countries have already flown or are preparing to fly the aircraft, which is in great demand both within the US Air Force and among its allies.
(With agency inputs)