- SEE THE COMPLETE EPISODE: Did this Iranian rocket destroy an F-35? | War On Tape
Did a newly developed type of "hidden" Iranian missile play a role in enabling the Islamic Republic to achieve a successful strike against an F-35 fighter plane during Operation Epic Fury?
That's the issue raised by international reporter Chris Pleasance in the most recent installment of The Daily Mail's Battle Against Video Records .
The "unstoppable" F-35 serves as the foundation for both U.S. and Israeli air forces, featuring a maximum speed of Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph) and an internal armament capacity of up to 5,700 pounds.
However, regardless of its intimidating image, video was released in March of a cutting-edge stealth fighter jet seemingly hit during flight .
The US Central Command subsequently verified that an F-35 had to perform an emergency touchdown following an event within Iranian territory.
Military experts have indicated that the plane, flown by U.S.-Israeli personnel, was hit by a group of subsonic ground-based air defense missiles referred to as the 358 and 359 .
Pleasance stated: "This would have been nearly impossible using traditional surface-to-air missiles, as the F-35 is designed to remain undetectable by long-range radar."
Most traditional missiles rely on radar for navigation, and they are unable to target objects they cannot detect.
But the 359 is anything but a standard weapon; it does not rely on radar, instead using infrared technology. The F-35 cannot remain hidden from this system since its engine becomes extremely hot.
The 358 is the shorter of the two missiles: measuring just nine feet in length, It offers a range of 60 miles and can achieve speeds up to 400 mph. It has a weight of 110 pounds and can transport a payload of as much as 22 pounds.
The 359 serves as the larger version of the 358: double in size, it offers a range of 100 miles, can climb up to 30,000 feet, and reach velocities of 600 mph.
"What they accomplish is launching from their platform, traveling to a set destination, and subsequently moving in an extensive figure-eight formation," Pleasance stated.
' They are hanging around, hoping someone will approach them instead of actively seeking out a target. While waiting, their IR seeker is monitoring the sky for infrared signals, which are the heat emissions produced by enemy drones, helicopters, and aircraft, as opposed to the significantly colder surrounding air.
When it detects one of these targets, which must be pre-programmed into it, it moves toward them until it collides, after which it detonates.
The models 358 and 359 are believed to have shown great effectiveness against Reaper drones operated by the US with a slower flight speed.
The United States has suffered the loss of 24 reapers since the conflict began in Iran, costing over $750 million.
The 358th and 359th units are believed to have destroyed at least an additional 13 harvesters during the U.S. aerial bombardment efforts within the Islamic Republic from the preceding year.
Pleasance stated: "The Reapers proved deadly during conflicts with Al Qaeda and ISIS, yet they move slowly and remain hovering above combat zones for extended periods, making them fairly noticeable to an aerial weapon such as the 358."
Once the 358 acquires a target, the Reapers have limited ways to disrupt it and are fairly straightforward to pursue.
Iran has additionally sent the missiles to its affiliated groups in different nations, such as the Houthis in Yemen.
It is rumored that the 359 has caused damage to an Apache helicopter in Yemen. indicating that it has the ability to target significant military equipment.
' "Although it has the ability to defeat Reapers, this is not considered its main function," Pleasance stated.
Experts believe this device is designed to target aircraft such as helicopters, aerial refueling planes, and possibly even the F-35.
There are reports that an Apache helicopter valued at approximately $50 million was harmed by one of these in Yemen, and naturally The United States suffered the loss of a KC-135 Stratotanker near Iran.
We believe this happened as a result of a collision with another refueling aircraft because of the damage we observed later, but what led the tankers to collide in the first place?
It might simply have been air pockets, or perhaps it wasn’t.
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