PNN – The Pentagon has officially acknowledged for the first time that one of its F-35 stealth fighter jets was “hit by enemy fire” over Iran.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network citing CNBC; a report submitted to Congress by the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General reveals that a fifth-generation F-35A fighter jet sustained damage from “enemy fire” during a combat mission over Iran—an incident that U.S. officials had previously described merely as an “emergency landing.”
According to the report, this is the first recorded instance of combat damage to an F-35 fighter jet during military operations. CENTCOM spokesman Captain Bill Speaks had previously stated that the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at a U.S. base in the region while conducting a combat mission over Iran, and that both the plane and pilot landed safely. He had noted that the pilot was in stable condition and the cause of the incident was under investigation, but offered no explanation regarding the possibility that the aircraft had been struck by Iranian fire.
A new report by the Inspector General now lists this fighter jet among the aircraft damaged by “enemy fire.”
The report also indicates that, as of the end of June, four F-15E fighter jets and one A-10 attack aircraft had been destroyed. Seven KC-135 aerial refueling tankers were also damaged or destroyed. According to the report, several helicopters and more than 30 U.S. drones were also lost or damaged during the war.
The U.S. Air Force has stated the value of each F-35A at approximately $92 million. The price of each F-15E was around $31.1 million in 1998.