tehran2 hours ago
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Iran claimed to have shot down the world’s most advanced American fighter jet F-35 on March 19. According to Iranian media Press TV, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) shot it down through its indigenous ‘Majid’ air defense system.
If this is true then Iran would be the first country to do so. The F-35 fighter jet has been considered the biggest symbol of American military power for nearly two decades. This is the most premium fighter jet, which has been specially designed in such a way that it can attack even the world’s strongest air defense system without being caught.
Iran claims that it has discovered the weakness of this ‘invisible’ jet. Majid Defense System detected the infrared heat emanating from the F-35 and targeted it. Iran says that even though the F-35 is capable of avoiding radar, the heat emanating from its engine cannot be completely hidden.
At the same time, American website CNN also quoted sources as saying that due to Iran’s attacks, the F-35 had to make an emergency landing in the Middle East.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has released footage of the March 19 attack on an F-35, although it has not been confirmed.
Claim- F-35 shot down with only 1 missile
According to Iranian media, earlier it was believed that ‘Talash’ air defense system was used in downing the F-35. But now it is being said that the Majid short-range air defense system has downed the F35.
Majid Defense System works on infrared technology instead of radar. In such a situation, the sensors and warning systems installed inside the F-35 are not able to detect this threat easily.
The electronic systems that the F-35 has generally jam enemy radar signals. But here it proved completely useless.
According to the video released by Iran, only one missile was enough in this attack. This was an attempt to show how precise the system is and how great the heat weakness of the F-35 is.
Majid Air Defense can hit targets up to 6km distance
The Majid Air Defense System was shown publicly by Iran for the first time in 2021. It is specifically designed for close range protection.
The biggest feature of this system is that it does not depend on radar, but uses infrared technology. For this reason, even such aircraft which are designed to avoid radar are not able to escape from its sight.
The Majid system is generally designed to capture targets flying at low altitude. Its hitting distance is considered to be around 700 meters to 6 kilometers. For this reason, it is more effective in situations where enemy aircraft or drones have to come over a particular area.
It is called a ‘point defense’ system, that is, it is deployed for direct protection of places like airbases, military bases, radar stations or any important building.
This system is usually installed on a mobile platform, that is, it can be quickly shifted from one place to another as per the need. This makes it difficult for the enemy to find out its exact location.
Deceived America by shutting down the radar system
According to Iran, they were already preparing for such a situation. For example, when to do what, which system to use, how to deceive the enemy. All this was already decided.
It is reported that when the US and Israel launched the first attack on February 28, Iran deliberately shut down its real radar systems and hid them in safe places.
Fake radar systems were installed in their place. These were not simple structures, but decoys that sent signals similar to real radar. It costs about 10 thousand dollars to make each decoy.
US and Israeli drones, which use cameras and infrared sensors to assess damage, were thought to have destroyed Iran’s air defense systems.
The destruction of these fake targets and the real radar being shut down led America and Israel to believe that Iran’s air defense was completely destroyed.
On this basis, the American Central Command and the Israeli Air Force assumed that they now had the edge. Even US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed on the morning of March 19 that Iran’s air defenses had been destroyed.
But this proved to be the biggest mistake. Coming to this confidence, America and Israel started sending their most advanced fighter jets, like F-35, deep inside Iran.
Started real radar system after 10 days
On the other hand, Iran quietly restarted its original radar systems and deployed infrared systems like Majid in places where US-Israeli fighter jets were likely to come.
As soon as the F-35 reached the area, it did not find any weak or closed defense system. Rather, he had to face a fully prepared and strong air defense system, which was already waiting for the same opportunity.
Note- This entire information is based on Iran’s claims and reports. This has not yet been independently confirmed.
F-35B fighter jets deployed at a base in Singapore. The picture is of June 2025.
Questions on F-35’s image worldwide
Iran’s claim of shooting down F-35 has surprised armies and defense experts around the world. Till now the strategy of many countries was based on the belief that the F-35 is almost invincible, but after this claim, questions have started being raised on this assumption.
Its effect is now visible in the decisions of many countries. Spain has abandoned plans to buy F-35s and decided to invest in Europe’s fighter jets.
India has also clearly indicated that it will not buy the F-35 and will focus on its domestic projects, there are calls in Switzerland to cancel the deal and Canada is also reconsidering the purchase of additional aircraft.
At present America has about 450 to 500 F-35 jets. The F-35 is considered to be the world’s most expensive weapons program, whose total cost is said to be around $1.7 trillion.
Claim- American air capability suffered great damage
According to Iran media reports, America and Israel have suffered continuous losses in this entire conflict. Iran’s air defense system has shot down more than 125 advanced drones of America and Israel.
Of these, at least 10 MQ-9 Reaper drones have been shot down. 9 drones were shot down during flight, while one drone was parked at a Jordanian airbase, which was targeted by a ballistic missile.
The MQ-9 Reaper drone is considered an important part of America’s surveillance and attack capability. Its price is around 30 million dollars (about Rs 250 crore).
Iran claims that its infrared systems have proven particularly effective against such drones, as was previously seen in Yemen.
The report also said that the Islamic Resistance Group operating in Iraq shot down a KC-135 tanker plane over western Iraq, killing all six people on board. In addition, 5 KC-135 tanker aircraft stationed at an airbase in Saudi Arabia were damaged.
These incidents are being seen as a sign of a flaw in America’s military planning, as Iran’s frequent missile and drone attacks are forcing American and Israeli forces to frequently change their positions, increasing the possibility of error.
By comparison, during the US campaign in Libya in 2011, only 3 combat losses were recorded in 4 months. Whereas here such a huge loss is being said in less than a month.
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