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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tan Dinh: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More 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. Live Events You Might Also Like: Iran claims to have hit Mossad training facility in Herzliya; Israel kills top Iranian military officer 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. You Might Also Like: Iran claims it shot down Israeli F-35 stealth fighter but can the undetectable be hit? The truth may shock you 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.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
F-35 beware! American stealth fighter has been shot down, and an innovative method was used to lock on to the advanced combat jet
Iran claims to have shot down three Israeli F-35I Adir fifth generation stealth jets during the ongoing combat operations. Iranian forces also say they have captured at least one of the female pilots flying what is touted as the world's most advanced fighter aircraft. Israel, on the other hand, denies losing any aircraft during the bombing run on Iran, and instead claims to have established aerial superiority over the skies of its adversary. Israel Defense Forces have been routinely releasing videos of air and missile strikes on Iranian air defence systems and missile launchers, with the claims of having destroyed at least a third of the latter, delivering a massive blow to Tehran's plans to target its enemy. But are the Iranian claims of having shot down multiple F-35I Adirs true? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bank Owned Properties For Sale In Menteng (Prices May Surprise You) Foreclosed Homes | Search ads Search Now While the truth may take some time to come out as wartime claims and counter claims continue, what is clear that Iran did try to shoot down the Israeli jets during their bombing runs. Israel, which used the F-15, F-16 and F-35 jets to hit military and nuclear facilities in Iran, has categorically stated that none of its aircraft have been shot down, let alone its prized stealth jets. Also Read: Nuclear weapons increasing as Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Iran conflict reignites World War III fears Live Events However, American stealth combat aircraft are not immune and one was indeed brought down by a technologically less advanced adversary, and this incident happened in the last century. Another stealth jet was shot at by a surface-to-air missile and though it managed to get back to its base, the damage ensured that it was never flown again. US F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter shot down Let's recount what happened during the civil war in the then Yugoslavia in 1999 when the United States Air Force lost a Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth ground attack aircraft with serial number 82-0806 to what many considered a Soviet era obsolete surface-to-air missile system. As the civil war in the now defunct Yugoslavia raged on in the mid and late 1990s, the NATO led by the US stepped in. The US Air Force deployed its F-117A Nighthawk, the first-ever operational stealth combat jet in the world, to patrol the skies over the breaking Yugoslavia. During one such patrol on the night of March 27, 1999, a F-117A, call sign "Vega-31" and piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Patrick "Dale" Zelko was flying near Belgrade when a unit of the Yugoslavian Army under the command of Lt. Col Zoltán Dani locked on to the fighter. The unit was armed with Soviet Isayev S-125 Neva/ Pechora missile system (NATO reporting name SA-3 Goa), employing a decades old technology developed in the 1950s. How the US stealth fighter was tracked Lt. Col Dani employed an innovative and ingenious method to track and lock on to the F-117A by operating his radars thrice, each time only for 20 seconds. At 8:15 pm local time, Lt Col Dani's unit got lucky and was able to lock on to the F-117A when Lt Col Zelko opened the plane's internal bay to drop the bombs, increasing the stealth aircraft's radar cross section area. Also Read: Will US join Israel-Iran war after embassy hit? Iran's biggest blunder may drag America into conflict As soon as the F-117A lit up the radar, Lt Col Đorđe Aničić, the soldier responsible for firing the missiles, launched multiple projectiles at the stealth jet. The missiles with a range of 8 miles (13 kilometers) were fired in quick successions and the air defence system was operational for just 17 seconds to avoid detection by NATO. The jet about about 14 miles (23 km) away from the Yugoslav air defence unit when it was locked on. As it approached the area nearer to the Soviet Isayev S-125 Neva system, the missiles already airborne locked on to the jet and went for the kill. During his debriefing following his rescue, Lt. Col. Zelko recounted that he saw two Isayev S-125 missiles streaking towards him. While the first one missed the F-117A but caused buffeting, the second one detonated. The missile's shrapnel and shockwaves resulted in the stealth jet going down. The shoot down was also confirmed by a NATO Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker which was over Bosnia at that time. Lt. Col. Zelko parachuted and hid while Yugoslav soldiers fanned out to hunt him. He, however, managed to escape being captured and was ultimately rescued by a team of US Air Force combat search and rescue team. More than a month later after the shoot down, another F-117A was on April 30, 1999, hit by the Yugoslavian air defence missile. However, this one did not fall out of the sky and hobbled back to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. But the damage suffered by the jet was extensive and the airframe was declared a total loss and never flew again. The F-117A was retired by the US Air Force in 2008.
