A US Air Force F-35A fighter jet made an emergency landing after reportedly being hit by ground fire during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, according to the Air and Space Forces Magazine. The pilot landed safely and is in stable condition, while the incident remains under investigation by US Central Command.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it struck the aircraft using an air defense system that may rely on infrared targeting, which can detect heat rather than radar signals. The extent of damage to the jet has not been confirmed.

The incident adds to a growing list of US aircraft losses and damage during the ongoing conflict, including drones, tankers, and fighter jets. The Air and Space Forces Magazine writes:

An Air Force F-35A fighter was forced to conduct an emergency landing at a U.S. air base after being struck by ground fire during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. […]

Iran has developed air defense systems that can use passive infrared sensors rather than radar to target aircraft, a solution that previously proved effective in Yemen when employed by Iranian-supported Houthi rebels. […]

The F-35 is now one of around 20 U.S. Air Force aircraft known to be damaged or destroyed in the nearly three week-old Iran war.

Three F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down by a Kuwaiti fighter in a friendly fire incident March 2, Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported. All crew members were recovered safely. On March 12, a KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq, killing all six Airmen aboard. Another KC-135 had its tail severely damaged in the same incident but landed safely. In a March 14 social media post, President Donald Trump appeared to confirm that at least one KC-135 was damaged on the ground by an Iranian strike on Saudi Arabia.

As of late last week, about a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones have been lost in the conflict.

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