US Aircraft Losses Surge as Iran Hits F-35 for the First Time

By Staff, Agencies

A recent report indicates that at least 16 US military aircraft have been lost since the start of the American-“Israeli” campaign against Iran. This includes the destruction of 10 Reaper strike drones and severe damage to six other aircraft.

According to Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the situation, Iranian defenses have primarily targeted the uncrewed Reapers, with at least nine destroyed mid-flight and one struck on a Jordanian airfield by a ballistic missile. Two additional Reapers were reportedly lost due to accidents.

Some of the most serious US losses, however, stemmed from accidents. Three F-15 fighter jets were allegedly downed by “friendly fire” in Kuwait, and a KC-135 tanker was destroyed during a refueling operation, killing all six crew members. Last week, fighters from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed to have intercepted a strategic KC-135 over western Iraq, reportedly downing it with “an appropriate weapon.”

The report also notes that five other KC-135 tankers were damaged by an Iranian missile strike while parked at a Saudi airbase.

Significantly, a US F-35 stealth jet was forced to make an emergency landing at a West Asian airbase on Thursday. While the Islamic Revolutionary Guard [IRG] did not officially claim the hit, this marks the first time the F-35 has been struck since its introduction roughly ten years ago.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf hailed the strike on the F-35 as a demonstration of the “collapse” of US military invincibility and arrogance, emphasizing that this is the first attack on such a high-profile aircraft and represents a major setback to the perceived US air dominance.

The report highlights Iran’s use of the infrared-guided 358 surface-to-air missile, a mobile system capable of hitting targets at altitudes up to 25,000 feet without radar warning, making it highly effective against US aircraft. These systems were also used as a threat during last year’s US campaign over Yemen.

The scale of aircraft losses surpasses that of the US’s previous large-scale air operation in Libya in 2011, when only three combat losses were reported over four months, including one drone.

Bloomberg notes that Iran’s air defenses have remained elusive despite US and “Israeli” air strikes. Such defenses pose a serious challenge to any US attempt to forcibly open the Strait of Hormuz.

The US operates 225 Reaper drones, several of which were previously shot down by Yemen last year. On February 28, the US and “Israel” launched a new wave of aerial strikes against Iran, roughly eight months after earlier unprovoked attacks. Iran responded swiftly, launching missile and drone attacks on Israeli-occupied territories as well as US bases and interests in regional countries.