Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said the fifth-generation stealth aircraft was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to land. Hawkins said the plane landed safely and the incident is under investigation.
“The plane has landed safely and the pilot is in a stable condition,” Hawkins added. ‘This incident is under investigation.’
“TODAY WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.” 2026/03/01 https://t.co/8G3g0ZHuc7 pic.twitter.com/q4Ld20sQb2
— Ali Larijani | Ali Larijani (@alilarijani_ir) March 19, 2026
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its air defenses shot down a US F-35 fighter jet around 2:50 a.m. over central Iran. According to their claims, the plane was ‘heavily damaged’ and probably crashed, but its fate has not yet been confirmed.
The IRGC says the incident occurred after they intercepted more than 125 ‘US-Zionist’ drones.
The F-35 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraft produced by the American company Lockheed Martin. It is one of the most technologically advanced military aircraft in the world.
It is about the so-called ‘stealth’ aircraft, which means that it is designed and equipped so that it is more difficult to be detected by radars. This enables it to operate in enemy airspace with reduced risk.
The aircraft is multi-role, which means it can perform various tasks: air combat, ground attack, reconnaissance and electronic warfare.
The incident would be the first time Iran has shot down a US aircraft in the war that began in late February. Both the US and Israel use the F-35 in conflict; the plane costs more than 100 million dollars, reports tportal.hr.
The US has lost other aircraft so far in the war, although none are known to have been hit by enemy fire. Three American F-15 fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, and all six crew members ejected safely. Last week, a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling plane crashed in western Iraq, although the cause is still unclear. The US military said the incident was “not caused by enemy or friendly fire”. All six crew members on the KC-135 were killed.
(Vijesti.ba)
