An American F-35 aircraft had to make an emergency landing at a U.S. airbase in the Middle East after it was struck by what’s thought to have been Iranian fire.
“We are aware of reports that a U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S. airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition,” CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told the Washington Examiner. “The incident is under investigation.”
Thursday’s incident, which was first reported by CNN, seemingly marks the first time since the war in Iran was launched on February 28 that a U.S. aircraft was hit by Iranian fire.
On March 1, Kuwait’s air defenses accidentally shot down three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles in “an apparent friendly fire incident.” All six aircrew were able to eject safely and were quickly recovered.
A U.S. KC-135 refueler also crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing six service members: Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28.
Their bodies returned to the United States on Wednesday during the dignified transfer process. President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were among the senior administration officials who oversaw their arrival to Dover Air Base in Delaware.
MISSILE THREAT TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY OVER THE NEXT DECADE: INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
Hegseth acknowledged on Thursday that Iran “will still shoot” at U.S. troops even though their capacity to do so has been greatly diminished.
“We’ve hit hundreds of their defense industrial bases directly, their ability to manufacture new ballistic missiles has probably taken the hardest hit of all. Ballistic missile attacks against our forces, down 90% since the start of the conflict,” he said. “Same with one-way attack UAVs, think kamikaze drones, down 90%. Now the Iranians will still shoot we know that, but they would shoot a lot more if they could, but they can’t.”
