Iran has claimed that they have shot down a second American F-35 fighter jet in the central region of the country. The announcement, reported by Reuters citing Iran’s Mehr News Agency, also indicated that the pilot is unlikely to have survived the incident.
According to the spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the advanced air defence system operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force successfully struck and destroyed the fifth-generation stealth aircraft. The impact triggered a massive explosion, making it highly improbable that the pilot was able to eject safely.
Why losing a US F-35 fighter jet could be a major loss for America
The F-35 is considered to be one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world. It is a 5th-generation aircraft that combines stealth technology, advanced sensors, and real-time data sharing, all in a fast and highly agile design, according to F35.com.
As threats increase and older aircraft become outdated, the F-35 plays an important role in maintaining air superiority for many years. It can gather and combine information from land, sea, air, space, and cyber systems, giving it a major advantage over other aircraft in modern warfare.
The fighter jet also uses advanced sensor fusion technology, which combines data from different sources into one clear, real-time view of the battlefield. This helps pilots spot and target threats faster, often before the enemy even knows they are there.
The F-35 also plays a key role in modern network-centric warfare by sharing information with other aircraft, ships, and ground systems. It works not just as a fighter jet, but as an important part of a larger, connected combat network.
So far, more than 1,000 F-35 jets have been delivered to the US military and allied countries. Around 20 countries are using or planning to use the aircraft. All versions of the F-35 have been used in real combat, and it is known as one of the most reliable fighter jets currently in service, as per F35.com.
Each aircraft costs around $80 million to $100 million, so losing one is a major setback both strategically and financially.
Oil prices surge amid tensions
Iran had on March 19 claimed that it had become the first country to successfully strike a US-made F-35 Lightning II. The Iranian consulate in Mumbai later shared a video of the aircraft on its X account, asserting that the jet had been brought down using locally developed defence systems and projecting Iran’s military strength.
Separately, the Associated Press reported that Iranian drones struck Mina al-Ahmadi refinery in Kuwait on Friday, sparking fires at the site. State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation confirmed the incident, saying emergency teams were sent to control the flames and that no casualties were recorded.
The refinery has reportedly come under attack multiple times since the conflict began.
US F-35 – Technical specifications
Cannon: 25 mm GAU-22/A gun
Air-to-air missiles: Can carry two AIM-120C/D missiles
Bombs: Can carry two GBU-31 JDAM bombs (each weighs about 907 kg)
Weapons load: Designed to carry weapons inside the aircraft to stay stealthy and avoid radar detection
Weight: Around 31,750 kg
Top speed: Up to Mach 1.6 (around 1,930 km/h)
Engine: F135-PW-100
Maximum thrust: Around 178 kN
Military thrust: Around 111 kN
Combat range: More than 1,093 km on internal fuel (based on US Air Force profile)
‘War of choice’, says former CIA chief
Former CIA director Bill Burns has described the US-Israeli war against Iran as “a war of choice” that may have strengthened the most hard-line elements within its theocratic system.
Burns, a former State Department diplomat, shared this view in a podcast by Foreign Affairs magazine.
“This is a regime that is inept at many things like managing its economy, but it is designed to preserve itself and designed to repress its own people and designed to withstand even the decapitation of its senior leadership,” AP quoted Burns as saying.