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Alcott Wei

Seong Hyeon Choi

The first known combat damage to an F-35 fifth-generation fighter aircraft from a likely Iranian attack suggests that stealth jets can be detected by electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor systems, according to Chinese analysts.
US Central Command reported that the stealth fighter was forced to make an emergency landing during a combat mission over Iran on Thursday.
“We are aware of reports that a US F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional US airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran,” spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement.
“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation.”
While the exact details and timeline are unconfirmed, the incident may mark the first time Iran has damaged a US fighter jet since joint US-Israeli air strikes triggered the war on February 28.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also issued a separate statement saying it targeted a US aircraft over central Iran.

The F-35 is a top-tier, fifth-generation multi-role fighter developed by Lockheed Martin. It features extreme stealth with a very low radar cross-section due to its specialised design, internal weapons bays and radar-absorbent materials.
While not invisible, the jet is highly optimised for low observability – typically 20 to 100 times stealthier than non-stealth jets like the French-made Rafale – enabling operations in heavily contested airspace.
The F-35 is operated by 20 countries, mostly US allies including Israel, and is designed for stealth strikes, intelligence gathering and network-centric warfare.
Yue Gang, a retired People’s Liberation Army (PLA) colonel and noted commentator, said that the F-35 in question might have “sustained minor damage but retained some basic functions”.
Citing infrared images of the strike released by Tehran, he speculated that ground artillery fire was unlikely to have caused it.
Also the fact that the aircraft was able to make an emergency landing suggested it was not hit by a conventional air defence system like the Russian-made S-300, Yue added.
“Because if it were a labelled air defence system, it would use radar guidance, not infrared guidance. And the missiles launched by such systems would be quite powerful; if they hit an aircraft, it generally wouldn’t be able to return,” he said.
“I speculate that the missile attacking the F-35 was possibly a modified air-to-air missile using an infrared-guided seeker.”


Iran reportedly imported the R-27T air-to-air missiles from Russia around the time when it acquired the Russian MiG-29 fighter jets, in the 1990s.
The R-27T is known to have a narrow 0.23 metre (0.75 foot) diameter and relatively low power, but its speed can reach around Mach 5 – exceeding many stealth fighters.
According to Yue, the F-35’s high stealth capability mainly targets electromagnetic radar detection, but its stealth capability against infrared detection from EO/IR systems is weaker, as this detects heat from the aircraft’s movement.
“However, infrared detection has a much smaller range than electromagnetic wave detection,” Yue noted.
Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former PLA instructor, agreed that Iran could have used the EO/IR sensors to detect the F-35, which “does not emit electromagnetic waves and is entirely passive”.
“It is difficult for the US to detect, which explains why it wasn’t destroyed in previous attacks. Furthermore, the aircraft would have difficulty detecting that it was being tracked,” Song said.
“The F-35’s low observability does not mean it is completely undetectable, it’s a myth … China possesses more advanced electro-optical radar and a very complete detection system for stealth targets, forming arrays for early warning.”




Thursday’s incident would also mark the first time the stealth fighter had been damaged in live combat. Although F-35s have been deployed in combat since 2018, there have been no confirmed cases of any being struck by enemy fire.
The damage to the F-35 follows several US military aircraft losses since it launched the war on Iran. US forces have reportedly lost about 12 MQ-9 Reaper drones, while five KC-135 refuelling aircraft sustained damage in Saudi Arabia – the cause of which remains unclear.
On March 1, three US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were mistakenly shot down in a friendly-fire incident in Kuwait.
Yue said that Iran’s lack of air superiority might have pushed it to modify rocket-powered air-to-air missiles, which are equipped with infrared detectors, into ground-launched anti-aircraft systems.
With fifth-generation fighters set to play a major role in modern warfare, Beijing has accelerated development of air defence systems to counter them.
“China possesses specialised anti-stealth radar targeting low-observable aircraft, then uses conventional air defence systems like the HQ-9 and HQ-19 to engage F-35s,” Yue said, referring to the key components of China’s multilayered air and missile defence network.
“This radar can detect aircraft from different angles and compare and calculate for any unusual signals.”


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China

Military

US Central Command says stealth fighter was forced to make an emergency landing during a combat mission over Iran


US Central Command says stealth fighter was forced to make an emergency landing during a combat mission over Iran.


Iran

United States

Lockheed Martin

Iran detected and damaged a US F-35 stealth jet in combat. Chinese experts map out how

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}US Central Command says stealth fighter was forced to make an emergency landing during a combat mission over Iran

US Central Command says stealth fighter was forced to make an emergency landing during a combat mission over Iran