The F-35 Lightning II, flown by the US and more than 19 allied countries, is central to fifth-generation warfighting capabilities and costs over USD 100 million per jet. If Iran’s claim is confirmed, it would mark the first time Tehran has successfully targeted a US aircraft in the current conflict, which began in late February.

The F-35 Lightning II is considered one of the most advanced fighter jets ever built, combining stealth, sensor fusion and powerful avionics into a single platform. Designed as a multi role aircraft,

Iran has claimed that its air defence forces struck a US F-35 fighter jet inside its airspace, causing serious damage to the stealth aircraft. The IRGC says the attack followed the interception of more than 125 American and Israeli drones.

A US F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet was purportedly damaged during a combat mission over Iran and was forced to make an emergency landing at a US base in the region.

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.

The F-35 will also serve as a test bed for technologies that will become commonplace in the next generation of jets. Flying in coordination with AI-enabled drones will become a staple of any sixth-generation fighter, and those new fighter tricks will likely first arrive in the form of the F-35.

The F-35 Lightning II was built by Lockheed Martin with major contributions from BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman in the 2010s What sets the F-35 apart from other fighter jets is its mix of stealth and supersonic cruise without afterburner It also features ...

The Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II is widely thought to be one of the most advanced fighter jets currently in existence. Across its three main variants — the F-35A, the F-35B, and the F-35C (U.S Navy) — the U.S. military alone operates more than 600 ...

U.S. Air Force combat pilot also worked as a contractor F-35 instructor before allegedly providing expertise to China.

Iran announced it struck a US F-35 fighter jet. A US official confirmed an F-35 made an emergency landing after an incident over Iran. The pilot is safe and an investigation is ongoing. This event follows other US military setbacks in the region.