Iran claims major upset: F-35 Fighter jet shot down, wreckage pictures released
The US has yet to confirm, but Iran says the pilot likely didn't survive. This follows previous Iranian claims of targeting US aircraft, which the US has denied
Tehran (The Uttam Hindu): A very shocking news has emerged from the war that has erupted between Iran and America. The Iranian army has claimed that it has shot down the US Air Force's most lethal F-35 fighter jet in the Markazi province of central Iran. This big claim has been made by Iran's Khatim al-Anbiya headquarters. According to media reports, initial investigation of the plane's wreckage has found markings of Britain's Lakenheath Air Base, a very important military base of the US Air Force in Europe. However, no official statement has yet been issued regarding the real purpose of this intelligence mission and the condition of the plane's pilot.
Photos of the wreckage have been released as evidence, with little hope for the pilot's survival
This time, to prove its claim, Iran has also released several pictures of the wreckage of the destroyed F-35 fighter jet. Actually, Iran has taken this step because America has been continuously rejecting its previous claims. Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that the explosion at the time of the crash was so severe that it was almost impossible for the pilot to eject (safely exit the plane). Let us tell you that earlier on March 19, Iran had also released a video of targeting an American F-35A fighter jet. However, at that time the plane did not crash completely and the injured pilot somehow managed to make a safe emergency landing of the damaged plane at an American base in the Middle East.
America lost dozens of planes in the war, what did the US command say on the claims?
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has yet to respond to Iran's latest and most significant claim, but it has dismissed the IRGC's previous claims as completely false. Looking at the statistics of this current war, the US has lost 16 to 20 military aircraft and sophisticated drones so far. However, only a few of these have been directly affected by Iranian action; the rest have been destroyed in accidents or friendly fire. Iran has so far shot down 9 to 12 US MQ-9 Reaper drones. While Iran claims to have shot down two F-35s, the US has also denied Iranian claims of downing other aircraft, such as the F-15 and F-16. Furthermore, three US F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft were accidentally shot down by Kuwait's air defense system in friendly fire.