The Pentagon did not immediately confirm the cause of the landing, and said the incident was still under investigation.

If confirmed, it would be the first successful Iranian attack on an American military fighter since conflict escalated in late February.

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.

The F-35 TR-3 crisis highlights a shift in 2026 military readiness: software is now the primary "failure point" rather than mechanical hardware.

Norway's Kongsberg has been awarded a contract to supply components for F-35 Lots 20-22 production, extending its supply through to 2030.