A U.S. F-35 fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran, U.S. Central Command confirmed on Thursday.
The pilot, who was able to guide the aircraft to a U.S. air base in the region, is in stable condition, a command spokesperson said.
CNN first reported the incident, with sources telling the outlet the aircraft was struck by an Iranian munition.
“We are aware of reports that a U.S. F-35 aircraft conducted an emergency landing at a regional U.S airbase after flying a combat mission over Iran,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins said in an emailed statement.
The incident is under investigation.
Prior to Thursday’s incident, the U.S. had lost four manned aircraft across the month of March.
Six U.S. airmen were killed on March 12 when their KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during combat operations.
On March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 in a friendly fire incident. All six F-15 crew members ejected and were safely recovered.
A total of 13 U.S. service members have been killed during combat actions against Iran and roughly 200 wounded.
While the majority of the wounded troops have since returned to duty, 10 are considered seriously injured, CENTCOM announced Monday.
J.D. Simkins is Editor-in-Chief of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
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