The single-crew fighters can cost more than $100 million each. What to know about the jets.

The post IDF: Iranian missile fired at fighter jet, no damage reported appeared first on The Times of Israel.

A US F-35 fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at a US air base in the Middle East after it was allegedly struck by Iran on Thursday, according to new reports. The fifth-generation stealth fighter was “flying a combat mission over Iran” when it suddenly had to make an emergency landing,

Fighter jets remain one of the most important tools in modern military strategy. While new technologies like drones and hypersonic missiles are reshaping warfare, the ability to control the skies still depends on high-performance combat aircraft.

The F-35 will also serve as a test bed for technologies that will become commonplace in the next generation of jets. Flying in coordination with AI-enabled drones will become a staple of any sixth-generation fighter, and those new fighter tricks will likely first arrive in the form of the F-35.

Iranian missile strikes on southern Israel have escalated tensions in the ongoing conflict, resulting in injuries and extensive damage. The situation follows attacks on Iran's nuclear facility, raising concerns about regional stability.

On Saturday, Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was hit in an airstrike, an official Iranian news agency reported, saying there was no radiation leakage.