Has the F-35, the world's most advanced jet, failed the practical exam in Iran?

There are always those students who shine in theory but struggle with practicals. Because life, much like physics, rarely operates in ideal conditions. External factors are always at play. In the US's conflict with Iran, that factor appears to have been overconfidence. President Donald Trump's, and perhaps that of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman's, the makers of America's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35 Lightning II, two of which have been reportedly shot down by Iran.

The F-35 Lightening is a fifth-generation stealth jet. It is designed to be almost invisible to enemy radars, fly at supersonic speeds while sharing live data with other aircraft and ground forces. On paper, it looks unbeatable. But in Iran, things have played out differently.

According to Iranian claims on Friday, their forces have now taken down a second F-35. This shouldn't be confused with the F-15E fighter jet that was shot down over southern Iran on Friday. The F-35 is a 5th-gen jet, while the F-15E is a 4.5-gen fighter. Some Iranian sites have claimed that the pilot of the F-15E is in Iranian custody.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the F-35 was downed over central Iran. Earlier, on March 19, CNN reported that a US F-35 was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire during a combat mission over Iran. The jet made an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East. The pilot was stable, and US Central Command confirmed the incident while saying it was under investigation.

US officials have rejected claims of any F-35 being fully shot down, insisting no American fighter has been lost to enemy fire. But in war, certainty is always elusive.

Depending on the version, the F-35s cost anywhere between $82-110 million. It is one of the most expensive warplanes ever built. Losing or damaging even one is a big blow, both in terms of money and in reputation.

US OVERCONFIDENCE IN AIR CAMPAIGN IN IRAN EXPOSED

The US and Israel have carried out dozens of strikes on Iran since late February. President Trump and US military leaders spoke confidently about clearing Iranian air defences. They suggested that years of sanctions and earlier attacks had left Iran with little ability to defend its skies.

The thinking seemed to be that Iran had no defences left, and its ground defences were too old or destroyed to threaten advanced Gen-5 jets like the F-35. This overconfidence has seemingly come to bite back the US, because real war is not a clean classroom test.

External factors, such as Iran's use of terrain for hiding defences, quick repairs of damaged sites, and surprise tactics, have come into play.

So far, the US has lost many other aircraft in the conflict, but unlike F-35 jets, not all were directly hit by Iranian fire. Three F-15 jets were accidentally shot down by friendly Kuwaiti defences, and a KC-135 refuelling plane crashed in Iraq with all crew lost.

The F-35s getting shot directly raises questions that can even the best stealth jet stay completely safe when the enemy is motivated and creative? Has too much faith been placed in technology without enough respect for the old-fashioned determination that Iran is showing on the battlefield?

REPUTATION OF F-35 FIGHTER TAKES A HIT IN IRAN WAR

Defence expert and senior journalist Sandeep Unnithan called stealth a "misnomer", noting aircraft can still be detected through heat signatures. While the exact missile is unclear, Iran may have used the 358 loitering munition or a short-range surface-to-air missile. The 358, also called SA-67, uses infrared tracking and has previously targeted US MQ-9 Reaper drones, and has been supplied to Houthi forces.

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, the main companies behind the F-35 programme, built a jet with world-class accolades, but its reputation has taken such a hit that Canada is reviewing its planned purchase of American F-35 fighter jets.

While Canada's concerns are also driven by trade tensions with the United States and future access to software updates and spare parts, there are worries about reliance on American defence equipment too, especially after jets and state-of-the-art radars failed in Iran.

As the war is dragging on, probe in continuing about how the jets took a hit. But for now, the F-35 is just an academic topper. In hard practical exams (read: the battlefield) it has taken some unexpected knocks.

A LOOK AT TECH SPECS OF F-35 THAT MAKE IT AN ACADEMIC TOPPER

The F-35 is a single-seat, single-engine fighter. Its Pratt & Whitney engine produces about 43,000 pounds of thrust, letting it reach speeds of Mach 1.6, around 1,200 miles per hour. It has a wingspan of about 35 feet and can fly more than 1,350 miles on internal fuel alone. With mid-air refuelling, its range is almost unlimited.

What makes the F-35 special is its stealth technology, which is under question after the two hits in Iran.

Special shapes and coatings reduce its radar reflections, so enemies were supposed to find it hard to detect and lock on, but Iran somehow did that. Like Unnithan suggested, it could be because of heat signatures.

It also has powerful sensors that fuse data from radar, infrared, and other systems, giving the pilot a clear 360-degree picture of the battlefield. The jet can carry weapons inside its body to keep the stealth shape clean, and it shares information with friendly forces in real time.

In short, the F-35 is built to sneak in, strike accurately, and get out safely, at least on paper.

It must be noted that Iran's air defences are not the most modern ones available. Many are older Russian designs or locally upgraded versions. Yet they have proved deadly in this conflict. Iran uses a mix of surface-to-air missiles that can reach high altitudes and track targets using radar or infrared.

Experts note that Iran has improved its older systems through better integration, mobile launchers, and tactics like "SAMbush" — hiding missiles and firing suddenly when a plane is close.

Even if Iran doesn't have fighters to match the F-35s, it can definitely put up a fight, especially if it is underestimated, like the US is doing right now.

- Ends