US F-35 Damaged by Suspected Iranian Fire Makes Emergency Landing, Sources Say

[ruet]

Source: CNN

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.



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/19/politics/f-35-damage-iran-war

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We've degraded their AA so much they are shooting down our 2nd best stealth fighter. Bravo!

https://packaged-media.redd.it/e0pnaqqw01qg1/pb/m2-res_262p.mp4?m=DASHPlaylist.mpd&var=sgpssan&v=1&e=1773954000&s=547d8d3fc9e8f00a2b62ff987b838c31705e51a5

I cannot verify the veracity of that video.

[FBaggins]

1. Landing at an American air base is not being "shot down". Nt

[ruet]

2. Fair Enough. -NT-

[EX500rider]

3. It's known as the golden bb

Fire enough stuff in the air and eventually you'll accidentally hit something

[ruet]

7. Does that include all of the Reapers they've been shooting down? -NT-

[EX500rider]

8. How many is that & according to who exactly?

No doubt some have but I doubt the US is issuing any numbers and I wouldn't trust Iran's...ymmv

[ruet]

9. 12+ The DOD.

To be as accurate as possible, things as they are, that includes some that have been hit by Iranian ordinance while on the ground.

[NickB79]

11. There's no way it was entirely accidental

A radar signature must have been acquired to warrant a missile launch in the general direction of the fighter, despite it being stealthy. Iran isn't shooting missiles blindly into the sky.

It's not like WW2, flying slowly through clouds of flak.

[EX500rider]

12. Actually they do have antirecraft guns

Including 100 mm snti-aircraft guns integrated into their defense of Tehran.

KS-19 -
Maximum firing range
21 km (13 mi) (horizontal)
15 km (9.3 mi) (vertical, proximity fuze)
12.7 km (7.9 mi) (vertical, time fuze)
https://share.google/9cbXsm0ViT3i8Mh5e

[NickB79]

13. Which uses a fire control radar for targeting

God help us if an obsolete Soviet-era AA gun was able to get a radar signature off an F-35

[EX500rider]

14. Could be fired with a time fuse too with a lucky guess

[EX500rider]

15. There is also a brief period...

.... when they open the bomb bay doors to deploy ordinance that it loses stealth characteristics temporarily, could have got a partial lock then for a lucky missile or gun shot possibly.

[Prairie Gates]

4. They're leeeeeeeaaaarning

Hitting a jet is theoretical until you have to do it.

It took the Iraqi resistance months to figure out how to properly ambush American convoys, but, boy, once they figured it out, it was off to the races.

[naftali]

5. US F-35 Damaged by Suspected Iranian Fire Makes Emergency Landing, Sources Say

Reports of a U.S. F-35 making an emergency landing after suspected Iranian fire are deeply concerning and highlight how quickly regional tensions can escalate. If confirmed, this would mark a serious development with potential global implications.

[Deminpenn]

6. These aircraft have never been tested in

actual combat against a determined, well-armed enemy. No one really knows how the planes will perform.

I recall back when Reagan was president, two F14s engaged with 2 Libyan Russian made fighter jets and shot them down. At my command the general reaction was, "they work!".

[orangecrush]

10. This explains how Trump gave hostile nations a great guft

Iran is saying it got a signature of the F-35 IRST.

This means the F-35 will be forced to fly defensively and is for all practical purposes no longer stealth.

My take, your mileage may differ.

?si=Z5DUGXIuzZIkuxYj