How Iran is suddenly knocking US fighter jets out of the sky
India Today
Over the past 24 hours, two US military aircraft were shot down, and Iran struck two Black Hawk helicopters. It punctured Donald Trump's claims of complete dominance by the US over Iran's skies. But how is Iran managing to target such advanced fighter jets?
It seems the days when flying over Iran was a walk in the park are over. Over the past 24 hours, two US military aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters, which were involved in search efforts, were struck by Iran. While it does not mean that Iran is anywhere close to an equal military footing with the US, what it does is puncture US President Donald Trump's claims of complete dominance over Tehran's skies. On Friday, the sky came falling for Trump. But how did Iran, with its depleted air defence, manage to target such sophisticated warplanes?
The answer is Iran's mastery over asymmetric warfare, using unconventional methods to take the US by surprise. Despite the war now being in its second month, the US still seems to be unaware of Iran's googlies. After shooting down a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet on Friday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) credited a new, advanced defence system. Hours later, two Black Hawk helicopters, which were involved in search efforts for the F-15 crew, were also hit, but they made it out of Iranian airspace. A second US jet, an A-10 Warthog aircraft, also crashed over Kuwait.
The developments come as a major battlefield setback for the US. It is the first time in more than 20 years that American fighter jets have been shot down by enemy fire. The last time that a US warplane was shot down during active combat was in Iraq during the 2003 invasion.
Crucially, it underlines Iran's continued ability to strike back despite repeated assertions by Trump and his aides of "complete control" over Iran's skies and Tehran having "no anti-aircraft systems".
"We literally have planes flying over Tehran and other parts of their country... They can't do a thing about it," Trump said on March 24. A week later, Iran showed Trump and the world the reality.
While Iran has not revealed what took down the US jets, analysts believe it could be the Majid infrared air defence system or shoulder-fired missiles, which are harder to detect. The two US warplanes shot down by Iran were likely operating at lower altitudes, making them easy targets for these weapons.
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