How an F-35 Got Hit by Iranian Missile in Operation Epic Fury

[IronLionZion]

[IronLionZion]

1. US F-35 damaged by suspected Iranian fire makes emergency landing, sources say

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/19/politics/f-35-damage-iran-war

A US F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing at US air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for US Central Command, said the fifth-generation stealth jet was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it was forced to make an emergency landing. Hawkins said the aircraft landed safely and the incident is under investigation.

“The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” Hawkins added. “This incident is under investigation.”

The incident would be the first time Iran has hit a US aircraft in the war started in late February. Both the US and Israel are flying F-35s in the conflict; the aircraft costs upwards of $100 million.

MAGA is saving our tax dollars from fraudulent stuff like healthcare, education, child care, infrastructure, transit, etc.

[EX500rider]

2. The video should say this is what we think happened because the military hasn't announced how

And also when the F-35 opens its bomb bay doors to deploy ordinance it loses a lot of it's stealth characteristics and it is possible for a brief missile lock at that time

[BlueWavePsych]

3. The Myth Of Stealth: Iran Puts US' Prized F-35's Name To The Test

No stealth aircraft is invisible. Low-frequency radars can detect stealth aircraft, though with reduced precision. Bistatic radar configurations, which separate the transmitter and receiver, complicate the geometry of absorption. Russia and China have invested significantly in counter-stealth detection networks partly for this reason. In the 1999 NATO campaign over Yugoslavia, a Serbian surface-to-air missile battery downed an F-117 using a Soviet-era radar that operated at a frequency the aircraft's design did not fully account for. The wreckage was recovered. China's defence attache reportedly visited the site.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/f-35-hit-by-iranian-fire-the-real-secrets-of-stealth-in-military-aviation-11241417

[xocetaceans]

4. There's a huge difference between 'hit' and 'downed'. Why post a video with such an inaccurate title in its graphics?

Or do you also think the plane was 'downed' in spite of your OP's title? It cannot not be both. Up is not down except in the world of the GOP and MAGA.

[wolfie001]

5. It was the plane's heat profile that left it vulnerable

That's the scoop I heard.

[Doc_Technical]

6. "Never fly straight and level for more than 30 seconds in a combat area"

Wikipedia -Ten Rules for Air Fighting

[IronLionZion]

7. How an Old Warplane is Defending the Strait of Hormuz?

A-10 looks well suited for the job

[NowsTheTime]

9. A-10 in process of being phased out

https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/a-10-warthog-retirement-update/

[IronLionZion]

10. They've been saying that for years, yet here we are

it's in use today in the Iran conflict.

[NowsTheTime]

8. Video lost me at 1:15 min. &. 1:34 min. pronouncing "infrared" as "inferred"