New Delhi: A US F-35 stealth fighter was damaged during a combat mission, while flying over Iran. This comes amidst the ongoing war between Israel-US and Iran. The damage to the aircraft forced an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East. American officials confirmed the emergency landing and said that the pilot of the aircraft was injured in the incident, but is in a stable condition.
The incident is being investigated by the US.
Iran claims it struck F-35 fighter
Now Iran has claimed that it struck the US fighter jet. If true, this would be the first time that Iran would have struck US most advanced fighter aircraft during the ongoing war in the Middle East. The US has so far not confirmed that the plane was damaged in Iranian fire. They have just acknowledged that it did get damaged during a combat operation in the going Israel-US vs Iran conflict.
Captain Tim Hawkins from the US Central Command was quoted by the Times of India as saying, “The fifth-generation jet was flying a combat mission over Iran when it was forced to land. The aircraft landed safely and the pilot is in safe condition.”
He added that the matter was being investigated. He did not elaborate upon how exactly the aircraft was damaged.
Why is it a big deal if Iran has hit the F-35 jet?
The F-35 stealth fighter aircraft of the US is not just any other aircraft. It forms the backbone of the US defence system as well as that of allied powers. It is also regarded as one of the most advanced combat aircraft ever built in the world.
The aircraft cost USD 100 million and has been ordered by at least 19 other countries. The F-35 is the world’s most widely deployed fighter aircraft and is used by the US in major conflict zones. It is believed that this aircraft can fly over conflicted airspace without detection.
This aircraft has been designed in a manner that radars cannot detect it and this feature allows it to operate deep within conflict zones. Its design and internal mechanisms permit this non-detection. It is very difficult for the enemy to track or detect the F-35s, even if it is inside their territory.
The F-35 does not just gather data. It also merges radar information from other aircraft, uses infrared sensors and other mechanisms to present a clear battlefield picture. When the pilot is presented with all this information, he can easily decide his next step.
The F-35 also shares data with other aircraft, ships and ground systems. This makes it a warfighting network in itself, not just a fighter jet.
Given so many features, if Iran was able to detect this plane and hit it, it shows gaps in operations, which need to be fixed by the US at the earliest. This could also mean that Iran has managed to improve its detection mechanisms, which has allowed it to detect the aircraft and attack it. Thus all talk about the aircraft being able to operate with impunity would fall flat.
The US has reportedly lost 16 aircraft ever since the Israel-US vs Iran war began on February 28.