Iran claimed to have shot down another US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet over central Iran with an advanced Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defense system, Iranian state media reported on Friday. She further stated that the pilot probably ejected,
Iranian command spokesman Khatam al-Anbiya said the plane was shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s new air defense system and the crash caused a “massive explosion” that made it impossible for the pilots to survive, the report said.
“A second American fifth-generation F-35 was hit and shot down over central Iran by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s new air defense system. Due to the massive explosion on impact and during the crash, it is unlikely that the pilot ejected,” said spokesman Khatam al-Anbiya, quoted by Press TV.
In a similar claim, the Holy Prophet’s Central Command (PBUH) said that the advanced stealth aircraft was shot down by the IRGC’s modern air defense system from the Lakenheath squadron.
“A second US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was hit and crashed in the central Iranian sky by a modern air defense system of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps from the LAKEN-HEATH squadron. Due to the strong explosion of the fighter on impact and fall, it is unlikely that the pilot ejected,” PBUH said, according to the IRIB report.
Last month, the first American F-35 Lightning II was shot down
Earlier on March 19, Iran said it had become the first country to strike the US F-35 Lightning II – one of America’s most advanced and costliest fighter jets and a key pillar of its fifth-generation combat capabilities. The CNN report also confirmed that the F-35 made an emergency landing after being fired upon by Iranian surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), the pilot was safe and an investigation is underway.
The IRGC said it had successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter in the airspace of central Iran. According to a statement published by the IRGC on its official news website on Thursday, the plane was hit at 2:50 a.m. local time by the IRGC’s advanced modern air defense systems.
“The fate of the fighter is unclear and under investigation, and the probability of its crash is very high,” it said.
The IRGC noted that the interception followed the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iranian defense systems, signaling significant and expedient upgrades in the country’s integrated air defense network.
(With input from agencies)
