US F-35 Experiences First Combat "Kill," How Much Longer Can "Destroyed" Iranian Air Defense Hold Out?

How Iran’s Photonic Systems Detect the F-35’s Stealth Advantages

Iranian Speaker Claims F-35 Was Hit, Breaking U.S. Military’s “Arrogance”

According to Xinhua News Agency on March 20, Iran’s Islamic Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that the F-35 was hit for the first time, shattering the U.S. military’s “arrogance.”

On March 19, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that they had hit a U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jet, causing serious damage. Iranian media reported that this indicates Iran’s air defense systems were not destroyed and still have the capability to counter the world’s most advanced military equipment.

Iran released screenshots of its air defense missile system hitting the F-35.

U.S.'s Most Advanced Stealth Fighter Hit

To convince the public of this achievement, Iran also released a video showing the interception of the F-35. The footage shows an aircraft resembling the F-35 stealth fighter being targeted by a missile within the view of optical infrared sensors, but the aircraft continued flying without exploding or ejecting the pilot.

On the same day, U.S. officials reported that an F-35 suspected of being hit by Iranian fire made an emergency landing at a U.S. military base in the Middle East, with the aircraft safely on the ground. CNN stated that if confirmed, this would be the first time since the outbreak of the conflict in late February that Iran has hit a U.S. military aircraft. It is also the first publicly recorded instance of an F-35 being hit by air defense fire in combat since its service began.

It is currently unclear whether the hit aircraft was an F-35A or F-35C. During this military operation against Iran, the U.S. deployed both F-35A and F-35C fighters. On February 16, 18 F-35A fighters stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the UK took off with tanker support heading to the Middle East. Since then, the U.S. has repeatedly sent additional F-35A fighters to the Middle East, totaling about 30 aircraft, and also sent over 40 F-35s to the UK as backup forces ready to reinforce the region. Besides the Air Force’s F-35A, 12 F-35C carrier-based fighters are deployed on the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.

Military expert Han Dong told The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that in this conflict, U.S. and Israeli F-35s played a key role. Early in the conflict, these aircraft, along with air-launched ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, acted as “door kickers,” targeting Iran’s military and political leadership, radar, and air defense firepower, playing a crucial role in gaining air superiority. “Because the F-35 has excellent stealth and situational awareness, it often conducts high-risk deep strikes into Iran. The threat posed by the F-35 is significant, making it one of the most desired targets for Iran to shoot down,” Han Dong said.

The U.S. military website “The Warzone” reported that despite all suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) missions, Iran still possesses mobile air defense systems that can appear anywhere, giving little reaction time to crews. These systems are easy to hide and can remain on the battlefield long after local air defenses are destroyed. Additionally, Iran has portable surface-to-air missiles, which, although less threatening in range and performance, cannot be completely eliminated from the battlefield.

Iran’s AD-08 missile system uses electro-optical search and tracking devices and infrared-guided missiles, with high integration, strong mobility, and independent combat capability.

According to previous Iranian disclosures, Iran owns mobile air defense systems such as AD-08, “Hozar 9,” Raad, and Tabas. These weapons are highly integrated, with missiles, search, and tracking systems often mounted on a single high-mobility vehicle, enabling strong independent combat capability.

“From the video Iran released, it appears their air defense system that hit the U.S. F-35 is equipped with electro-optical detection and tracking devices. Considering the current situation where Iran’s radar systems have been heavily destroyed and suppressed, this attack likely relied mainly on optical systems for detection and tracking. Systems like AD-08 and ‘Hozar 9’ can perform combat operations using optical systems,” Han Dong analyzed.

The AD-08 “Majid” system is a short-range low-altitude air defense weapon developed by Iran’s Defense Industries Organization, first unveiled during Iran’s Army Day parade in 2021. Its most notable feature is the entire system’s use of electro-optical tracking combined with infrared terminal guidance missiles. The missile has a maximum range of 8 km and a altitude of 6 km, with the capability to fire and forget. The warhead weighs approximately 12-14 kg.

Iran also showcased the “Hozar 9” short-range missile system.

The “Hozar 9” missile system uses passive guidance. Iran’s Ministry of Defense previously stated that compared to earlier models, the “Hozar-9” has a shorter launch preparation time and can target aircraft, helicopters, and missiles at altitudes between 8 and 12 km.

“Electro-optical systems do not emit signals like active radars, making them more covert. U.S. and Israeli aircraft conducting SEAD missions find it difficult to detect these systems,” Han Dong said. “Modern stealth aircraft mainly target radar stealth, but their infrared signatures are more obvious. Iran’s air defense forces have exploited this weakness, executing successful ambushes.”

Intensified Air Superiority Battles Between Iran and the U.S./Israel

The hit on the U.S. F-35 not only caused actual losses but could also influence the battlefield situation—Iran’s air defenses are adapting to current conditions, enhancing their capabilities and increasing the risk of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, forcing tactical adjustments.

On social media, Larijani wrote: “The F-35 is not just a fighter jet; it is a symbol of U.S. invincibility and arrogance… Being hit for the first time in the world marks the beginning of the collapse of that symbol.”

According to CCTV News on March 10, U.S. President Trump told Republican lawmakers in Florida that the war would continue until Iran was “completely and decisively defeated,” but he also predicted it would end “soon.” Trump claimed Iran “no longer has a navy, air force, or air defenses; everything has been destroyed. No radars, no communication systems, no leadership.”

“The Warzone” pointed out that even the F-35 faces risks, especially as air strikes shift toward direct attacks, bringing aircraft closer to threats. Although the U.S. claims air superiority over Iran, it does not control the entire country’s airspace. Even simple air defense systems pose significant threats; during last year’s Houthi drone attacks, a stealth fighter had to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit by Houthi surface-to-air missiles, and an F-16 nearly was shot down.

Han Dong believes that Iran’s recent success in hitting an F-35 boosts the morale of its air defense forces, and this operational experience will quickly spread to other units. The air superiority contest between Iran and the U.S./Israel will become more intense. “Israel and the U.S. will reassess this incident, adjust tactics, and deploy more aircraft to destroy and suppress Iran’s air defenses.”

“However, the actual effect remains to be seen. Iran has substantial stockpiles of air defense missiles, and much of its military industry is underground, capable of continuing missile production. Given Iran’s land area of nearly 1.65 million square kilometers and complex terrain, U.S. and Israeli forces face high risks when conducting daily air suppression missions deep into Iranian territory,” Han Dong said.

Long-endurance loitering drones are suitable for hunting mobile air defense missiles. The U.S. and Israel have also deployed many “Reaper,” “Hermes,” and other drones to strike Iran’s mobile air defense systems and ballistic missile launchers. However, these drones are vulnerable, often being shot down by Iranian air defenses.

Iran released debris of an Israeli drone it shot down.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Naeini stated on March 8 that Iran’s air defense systems have shot down 80 drones of various types, including three U.S. MQ-9 drones and 74 Israeli “Hermes-900,” “Hermes-450,” and “Canglang” models. Iran’s military has repeatedly released videos and wreckage of these drone shootdowns.

“These drones are slow and lack maneuverability. Iran has developed anti-aircraft cruise missiles powered by turbojet engines, which use infrared guidance and simple launchers, supported by electro-optical devices, making them very suitable for targeting slow-moving drones,” Han Dong explained.