Iran has claimed that its air defence forces struck a US F-35 fighter jet inside its airspace, causing serious damage to the stealth aircraft. The IRGC says the attack followed the interception of more than 125 American and Israeli drones.

The F-35 will also serve as a test bed for technologies that will become commonplace in the next generation of jets. Flying in coordination with AI-enabled drones will become a staple of any sixth-generation fighter, and those new fighter tricks will likely first arrive in the form of the F-35.

Iran's IRGC released a video claiming to have targeted a US F-35 fighter jet over its airspace. This follows reports of a US F-35 making an emergency landing after being struck, an incident under investigation by US Central Command.

A US F-35 fighter jet was hit by suspected Iranian fire, forcing it to make an emergency landing at an American air base in the Middle East. US Central Command said the fifth-generation stealth jet was "flying a combat mission over Iran" when it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire.

Both Lockheed andd Martin had long, storied histories before their merger, and both began with the same type of odd aircraft.