Iranian authorities claimed on Friday that they shot down a US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet using the Islamic Republic’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) new air defense system. According to the spokesman of the Iranian command, Khatam al-Anbiya, the accident caused a massive explosion and the pilot probably ejected.
Iran claimed to have shot down another F-35
It is the second time since the war began on February 28 that Iran has claimed to have shot down a US F-35. On March 19, Iran claimed to have shot down a US F-35 fighter jet.
The IRGC released a video that purportedly showed a missile hitting a plane in mid-air.
While Iran claims it destroyed the F-35, US Central Command said the stealthy fifth-generation jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing, without giving details.
The F-35 Lightning II is widely considered to be the most advanced multirole fighter in the world and costs more than $100 million per aircraft. The US did not officially respond to Iran’s claims on Friday, but based on photos circulating on social media, many aviation experts speculated that it could be an F-35 fighter jet.
E-3 Patrol
Iran’s claim of downing a second F-35 comes days after Tehran destroyed an E-3 Sentry early warning and control (AEWC) aircraft in a missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. has not officially acknowledged the loss of the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, but open-source intelligence on the plane’s last known location and GPS coordinates of the site of the Iranian strike, along with photos of the aftermath, have led many experts to conclude that the E-3 Sentry, valued at $300 to $700 million, was destroyed and not just damaged.
KC-135 Stratotanker
An Iranian strike on March 13 is believed to have damaged or destroyed at least 5 KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft parked at the same air base. The price of one KC-135 Stratotanker is estimated at 70 to 80 million dollars.
KC-135 Stratotanker lost in Iraq
Earlier on March 12, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq, again claimed by Iran, but the US, while acknowledging the loss, said it was not the result of enemy fire but a mid-air collision with another KC-135 that managed to land safely.
Kuwait shot down three F-15s
Another confirmed loss of US military assets was on March 1 in Kuwait, when three F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down by friendly fire.
MQ-9 Reaper drones
In addition to these, the US military reportedly lost 11–16 MQ-9 Reaper drones that were destroyed during operations.
According to a Washington Post report, between $1.4 billion and $2.9 billion in US military assets were damaged or lost in the first three weeks of the conflict.
As the war continues, the Pentagon is asking Congress for $200 billion in additional funding to support military operations as part of a request for additional funding to the White House.
