The 20 second trick that once cost US its prized stealth fighter; can Iran learn it to hunt Israeli jets?
While the
Israeli Air Force
(IAF) fighters continue to pound targets after targets in Iran, the latter has been claiming to have downed at least four F-35I Adir fifth generation stealth combat aircraft. Iran also boasts of having captured two Israeli fighter pilots with one being a woman. There has been no independent confirmation of the Iranian claims with Israel, too, terming the reports of the F-35 shoot-downs as "fake news".
Soon after Iranian media on June 14, 2025, reported that the country's defense forces had shot down two F-35I Adirs, Israel Defense Forces International spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani took to social media to issue a clarification. "Fake News Detector: Iran didn't shoot down any Israeli fighter jets. They are trying to create a fake victory narrative and it's not going very well," the IDF officer posted on X.
According to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), one of the arms of
Iranian Armed Forces
, the long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system Bavar-373 was used to bring down the F-35 fighters. If Iran's claims are true, it would mark the first-ever combat loss for a fifth generation stealth fighter.
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But a stealth ground attack aircraft, although not belonging to the fifth generation, was indeed shot out of the sky more than 25 years back. The amazing military feat took place with the first prototype of what would eventually become the F-35 more than a year away from its first test flight, and many years away from entering active service.
It was achieved not by employing advanced technologies, but a military officer who was daring, innovative and willing to employ unconventional strategies in pursuit of his mission.
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What happened with US F-117A Nighthawk stealth attack jet
During the Yugoslav civil war in 1999, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (
NATO
) air patrol come under fire with one US F-117A Nighthawk falling to the ground after a missile hit. Another stealth aircraft was hit during the same campaign and later declared a loss after managing to somehow reach its airbase.
The F-117A was world's first stealth combat aircraft. A single pilot, twin-engine jet, the Nighthawk flew only subsonic and was developed as a ground attack aircraft. Deployed in a combat for the first time during the US invasion of Panama in 1989, the F-117A played a big role in the 1991 Gulf War, hitting hundreds of target in Iraq.
Its next major deployment was during the Yugoslav civil war in the 1990s when NATO announced its forces were ready to assist in peacekeeping operations and enforce no-fly zones in the conflict-afflicted regions.
As part of the deployment, NATO jets carried out bombing campaign against the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War from March 24, 1999, to June 10, 1999.
US Air Force
's F-117As also took part in these bombing runs.
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How a Yugoslav Army officer tracked and shot down the F-117A
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Patrick "Dale" Zelko, taking off from Italy's Aviano airbase on March 27, 1999, was carrying out a bombing run in his F-117A. His call sign was "Vega-31" and the aircraft serial number 82-0806.
During his mission, he flew over Belgrade. On the ground, a few miles away from his location, was a unit of the Yugoslavian Army tasked with protecting the ground assets against NATO attacks.
Lt. Col Zoltán Dani of the then existing Yugoslav army was in command of the air defense unit which had Soviet Isayev S-125 Neva/ Pechora missile system (NATO reporting name SA-3 Goa) in its arsenal. Yugoslav spies had informed Lt. Col Dani that US F-117As were in the vicinity. And, he was ready for them.
Locking on to the stealthy F-117A and then firing a missile to shoot it down was at that time considered next to impossible. The Yugoslav officer was also well aware of the fatal risk of NATO targeting his radars and missile systems.
Lt Col Dani goes for the kill
He ordered his fellow soldiers to switch on the P-18 radar and emit lower frequencies to find out where the F-117As were. Even though the P-18 radar could not paint the stealth jet accurately, it had the capability to find out the aircraft's location approximately.
Just after 20 seconds the radar was switched off as it failed to locate the jet. This was also deliberate strategy as the soldiers knew anything longer and the US jets would be able to find them out. The American High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and smart bombs were a big threat for the air defense unit.
A few minutes later, the radar came online again, and this time too for 20 seconds. Again., no success for Lt Col Dani and his soldiers.
Unaware of the Yugoslav air defense unit on the ground, Lt Col Zelko was on his way back to Aviano airbase. The two adversaries had no idea what was in store for them in the next few seconds.
With Lt Col Zelko's plane a few miles away, the Yugoslav soldiers switched on the radar once again as they knew that up there somewhere in the skies, the US stealth jets were flying for their mission.
It was the third time and once again Lt Col Dani's men had the radar scanning the sky for only 20 seconds. But those 20 seconds proved to be fateful as the F-117A lit up their radar screen at 8:15 pm local time. The weather was poor, the F-117A was about 14 miles (23 km) away but well within range, and there were no fighter escorts.
Lt Col Dani was also helped by the fact that NATO jets had been using the same route for their missions since its start three days ago. There was no SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) support for the F-117A, and most importantly, Lt Col Zelko was flying very low.
Seeing the enemy jet on his radar screen led Lt Col Dani to order another soldier, Lt Col Dorde Anicic, to fire the S-125 Neva/ Pechora missiles. Within seconds two missiles were in air, chasing the F-117A which was taken by surprise.
The 1961 vintage Pechoras with a range of 8 miles (13 km) raced towards the F-117A. Lt Col Zelko was able to perform an evasive maneuver as the one of the Pechoras closed in. The first missile missed the jet but the F-117A was not so lucky with the second. The detonation of the second missile led to shrapnel damaging the aircraft, and along with the shockwaves resulted in the fighter falling to the earth.
It was the first-ever combat loss of a stealth aircraft, and a little more than a month later on April 30, 1999, another F-117A was hit by a Yugoslav air defence missile. The plane survived but was never flown again after it managed to land at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
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