United States Air Force F-35A Damaged

A US Air Force F-35A was damaged by what was assessed as Iranian ground fire during a combat mission over Iran, then diverted to an undisclosed American air base in the Middle East. US Central Command confirmed the emergency landing and said the aircraft landed safely, with the pilot in stable condition but suffering shrapnel wounds. An NPR correspondent reported the jet made a hard landing and would be out of service for an extended period. Analysts differed on the cause, with some suggesting an infrared search-and-track cue and Chinese analysts telling the South China Morning Post that an adapted air-to-air missile was more likely than a large surface-to-air system. It is the first recorded combat damage to a fifth-generation fighter.