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The F-35 has long been called the “ghost of the skies” — designed to evade radar and strike undetected. But Iran’s latest claim has raised a serious question: Is stealth no longer enough?
Tehran claims it has detected — and possibly shot down — a second US F-35 using advanced tracking systems. While there is no official confirmation yet, the technology being discussed is very real. Is this the beginning of the end for stealth dominance?
Pankaj Mishra Explains.

#F35 #IranVsUS #StealthTechnology #AirWarfare #MilitaryAnalysis #DefenseNews #Iran #USAirForce #Infrared #ModernWarfare #Geopolitics

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Transcript
00:08the fighter 35 or f-35 often called the ghost of the skies built to be invisible designed to strike
00:18without being seen but what if that invisibility is now being challenged Iran claims it has not
00:25just detected but possibly shot down a second American f-35 no confirmation yet from the United
00:34States but if even partially true this changes the rules of modern warfare for decades stealth
00:43have been the backbone of us air dominance the idea was simple enter enemy airspace undetected
00:50strike and exit the f-35 achieves this by reducing its radar signature its shape deflects radar waves
01:00its materials absorb them on radar screens it appears tiny sometimes almost invisible but here's
01:10the critical point stealth does not mean invisible it means harder to detect so the real question is if
01:19radar cannot see it how is Iran tracking it the answer may lie in a completely different domain
01:27not radio waves but heat reports suggest Iran is using passive infrared tracking systems also known
01:36as IRST these systems don't emit signals like a radar they don't announce their presence they simply watch
01:46and what do they watch heat every jet engine produces intense thermal energy even the most advanced aircraft
01:55cannot fully hide it at high speeds during sharp maneuvers or while deploying weapons that heat signature
02:04becomes even stronger so while the f-35 may evade radar it cannot escape physics
02:15detection is only half the story the second layer is interception
02:20Iran's short-range air defense systems are believed to use imaging infrared seekers missiles that lock directly
02:29onto heat no radar guidance is needed once they lock they track autonomously in simple terms find the heat
02:39the heat follow the heat strike the heat what Iran appears to be building is a layered defense system radar
02:46passive sensors mobile missile units all working together even if one system misses another picks up the signal
02:55this is not about one breakthrough it's about a network a shift from radar centric warfare to multi-spectrum tracking
03:05and the implications go far beyond this conflict if Iran has captured the thermal or electromagnetic
03:13signature of the f-35 that data becomes extremely valuable shared with countries like russia or china
03:22it could accelerate counter stealth technologies worldwide for now the claims remain unverified but the signal
03:31is clear stealth is no longer absolute the battlefield is evolving and the question is no longer can stealth
03:41aircraft be detected the question now is how long can they stay undetected and at what cost
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