America's F-35 fighter jet is considered 'invincible', yet how did Iran target it?

News Topical, Digital Desk : The US F-35 fighter jet is considered one of the world's most advanced fighter aircraft and is the fifth-generation aircraft used by the most countries in the world. Iran has claimed to have shot it down. This fighter jet has never been hit in any war before. Let's find out why the F-35 is considered the world's most powerful fighter jet.

Special Features of the F-35

Stealth technology

• The biggest strength of the F-35 is said to be its stealth technology.
• Its design, special materials and internal weapon bay make it invisible to radar.

Sensor Fusion

It can operate deep within heavily guarded airspace, making it extremely difficult to track or target. One of its key features is its sensor fusion.

Real-time image of the battlefield

It not only collects data but also combines information from radar, infrared sensors, satellites, and other platforms to provide a real-time picture of the battlefield. This allows pilots to see the enemy early and launch attacks early.

Data Centric Warfare

It operates as part of a larger digital combat network, significantly increasing its capabilities.

Weapon

It has four internal and six external hardpoints for missile and bomb mounting. It can carry air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles and bombs.

There are three variants of the aircraft

1. F-35A - Conventional takeoff and landing. Used by the US Air Force. Cost approximately ₹670 crore.
2. F-35B – Used by the US Marine Corps. It can take off and land vertically from aircraft carriers. Cost approximately ₹960 crore.
3. F-35C – Carrier-based version. Used by the US Navy. Operates from aircraft carriers. Cost approximately ₹920 crore.

This is why the attack on the F-35 is special.

The F-35 fighter jet is considered the backbone of the air power of the United States and its allies. Costing more than $100 million per aircraft, it is the world's most widely deployed fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

Its stealth capabilities, advanced sensors, and network-based warfare make it unique. It is specifically designed to evade radar detection, allowing it to operate deep within heavily guarded airspace.

This is how Iran shot down a fighter plane

The F-35's stealth capabilities are primarily designed to thwart radar-based detection systems. Its unique shape scatters radio-frequency emissions, and its coating absorbs them. However, it cannot completely eliminate its heat signature. Iran has developed air defense systems that use passive infrared sensors rather than radar to target aircraft.

This method has already proven effective when used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Passive systems are particularly dangerous because they do not emit any radio signals themselves. While a radar-warning receiver on an aircraft detects incoming radar emissions, a passive infrared tracker provides no warning of an impending attack.

According to media reports, Iran attacked the plane with a Loitering Munition 358 missile. Houthi rebels have also targeted F-35s, according to media reports. However, the US has never confirmed these claims.

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