Iran shoots down another US F-35 fighter jet; pilot unlikely to have ejected

Iranian state media said on Friday that an advanced air-defense system run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down a second US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet over central Iran. Press TV says that a statement from the spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters says that the IRGC Aerospace Force's new air-defense system brought down the plane.

The report said that the crash caused a "massive explosion," and officials said that the pilot probably didn't eject or survive the crash.

"A new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defense system hit and brought down a second US fifth-generation F-35 over central Iran. Press TV quoted Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters Spokesman as saying, "The pilot is unlikely to have ejected because of the huge explosion on impact and during the crash."

The Central Headquarters of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) made the same claims, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). They said that the IRGC's modern air defense system shot down the advanced stealth aircraft from the Lakenheath squadron.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' modern air defense system from the LAKEN-HEATH squadron hit and crashed the second US F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet in the sky over central Iran. "Because the fighter jet exploded so badly when it hit the ground and fell, it is unlikely that the pilot ejected," PBUH said, according to IRIB.

Iranian news outlets have also released a video of the attack. In it, you can see a missile going through the clouds as it moves toward an F-35. The IRGC said that this shows that their new air-defense technology works, and it can even compete with American stealth technology.

The US military has not yet officially confirmed this claim, but there have been more and more reports of attacks on F-35s in the last few weeks.

On March 19, Iran said it was the first country in the world to hit a US F-35 Lightning 2, which is one of the most valuable US planes and the backbone of the US's fifth-generation warfighting capabilities.

More than 19 countries have already flown or are getting ready to fly the Lightning 2. It is very popular with the USAF and its allies.