Tehran : A second US fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was struck and downed over central Iran by a modern air-defence system of the Islamic Republic's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with officials saying the pilot is unlikely to have ejected, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
According to state media Press TV, citing a statement attributed to the Spokesman of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, it was claimed the jet was downed by a new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defence system.
It further stated that the impact and crash generated a "massive explosion" that made pilot survival unlikely.
"A second US fifth-generation F-35 was struck and downed over central Iran by a new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defence system. Given the massive explosion on impact and during the crash, the pilot is unlikely to have ejected," Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters Spokesman stated as quoted by Press TV.
The same claims were made by the Central Headquarters of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), as reported by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), stating that the advanced stealth aircraft was shot down by the IRGC's modern air defence system from the Lakenheath squadron.
"The second US F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet was hit and crashed in the central Iranian sky by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' modern air defence system from the LAKEN-HEATH squadron. Due to the severe explosion of the fighter jet upon impact and fall, it is unlikely that the pilot ejected," PBUH stated as reported by IRIB.
Earlier, on March 19, Iran claimed to have become the first nation in the world to strike a US F-35 Lightning 2, one of the most valuable US aircraft and the backbone of the US's fifth-generation warfighting capabilities.Over 19 countries have already flown or are preparing to fly the Lightning 2, which is in great demand both within the USAF and among its allies.
A CNN report, citing US defence officials, confirmed that an F-35 did perform an emergency landing after an Iranian surface-to-air missile (SAM) barrage, with the pilot safe and an investigation underway. IRGC said it had successfully hit a US Air Force F-35 stealth fighter jet in central Iran's airspace. According to a statement released by the IRGC on its official news website on Thursday, the jet was struck at 2:50 am local time by the IRGC's advanced, modern air defence systems.
"The fate of the fighter jet is unclear and under investigation, and the likelihood of its crash is very high," it said. The IRGC noted that the interception follows the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iran's defence systems, signalling significant and purposeful upgrades in the country's integrated air defence network.