Zeinab Al-Saffar reviews the downing of F35 fighter jet by Iranian forces amid grandeur of American defense equipment.

The most advanced fighter jet on Earth, the F35 just got hit. Why it Matters?

Yes—an American F-35 Lightning II…damaged… over Iran. Let’s break this down—fast. Iran says it targeted the jet at 2:50 AM using a homegrown air defense system. Hours later—confirmation that the jet was hit… and forced into an emergency landing somewhere in the Middle East.

American F-35 series is the latest and advanced version of its fighter fleet which uses unique radar signatures that cannot be tracked through the ordinary equipment. It comes in three different variants for multipronged use. Interestingly, only China’s J-35A competes with American F-35 in the advanced fighter jets.

Now here’s the real shock: Just hours before the incident, the US War Secretary claimed—“Iran’s air defenses were completely destroyed.” And yet…the crown jewel of American airpower… didn’t make it out clean. Because here’s the truth no one likes to say: The F-35 isn’t invisible. Iran says it used a system called “Qaem.” Not long-range radar. Not massive missiles. But close-range tracking—heat, optics… precision.

And the Result? Not a clean kill—but a crippling hit. Enough to force the pilot to run…. And the impact didn’t stop in the sky.

Shares of Lockheed Martin dropped—because this jet isn’t just a weapon…It’s a $100+ million promise of invisibility. And that promise just took a hit. So this isn’t just a battlefield moment. It’s a message: Stealth can be tracked. Patterns can be learned. And the next jet… might not be so lucky.

F-35: World’s Most Advanced Stealth Fighter

Bottom Line: If the F35 or the world’s most advanced stealth fighter can be seen… tracked… and hit—Then maybe the real question is: Was stealth ever invisible…or just expensive confidence flying too low?

Several more question remains unanswered: Is there any comparison of Russian and US airpower? Is the United States able to defend its status as a sole global superpower; or will it face a similar fate to the old empires who lost their name in the dynamics of entitlement? Moreover, Can the United States survive in case it has to face China or Russia or any other significant power in the world?

These questions may be answered by the history in future. However, the current diminishing military power of the United States may offer some insight to the pentagon. As US intends to move out of NATO, the downing of F-35 may be signaling some future insights to us!