USAF Reveals F-35 Mission Details Inside Iran: Operation Midnight Hammer

The US Air Force has released an unusually detailed account of a high-stakes F-35A deployment that included escorting B-2 Spirit bombers hundreds of miles into Iranian airspace during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025. The transparency offers a rare glimpse into how modern air combat missions of exceptional complexity are planned, coordinated, and executed at the highest levels.

The deployment centered on strikes against Iran’s underground nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. According to the Air Force’s official account from Hill Air Force Base—which oversees the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings—stealth F-35As flown by 388th Fighter Wing pilots penetrated Iranian airspace first, ahead of B-2 bombers, to suppress enemy air defenses and neutralize surface-to-air missile threats.

“Our weapons officer was the overall mission commander,” recalled Lt. Col. Aaron Osborne, Commander of the 34th Fighter Squadron. “We employed weapons to great effect against surface-to-air missile sites, while they were trying to target us with some very high-end systems and they were just unable to.”

The 34th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, comprised of Airmen from both active-duty and Reserve components, demonstrated flawless coordination. After B-2s delivered 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators and precision munitions on target, F-35 formations remained behind to cover the bombers’ withdrawal—making them the last aircraft to depart Iranian airspace. Remarkably, pilots were never fired upon during the strike itself.

However, the operation demanded more than perfect execution. Upon returning to base, crews immediately transitioned to threat posture, bracing for ballistic missile retaliation. “From that point forward, we were operating under alarm yellow and alarm red conditions, dispersing aircraft and people, expecting ballistic missile attacks,” Osborne explained.

The deployment itself began in March 2025, initially focused on Operation Rough Rider against Houthi targets in Yemen. The squadron flew combat missions within 24 hours of arriving in theater, contributing to strikes destroying air defense systems, command-and-control nodes, weapons depots, and both surface-to-air and ballistic missile capabilities. During these early operations, F-35A pilots recorded the aircraft type’s first air-to-air kills, downing one-way attack drones.

Throughout the deployment, the 34th operated from multiple bases across US Central Command, employing an agile combat employment model that prioritized rapid sortie generation and operational flexibility. The squadron integrated seamlessly with allied forces, tanker crews, and diverse aircraft types to maintain sustained operational tempo in contested airspace.

Col. Charles Fallon, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, emphasized the significance: “The rapid nature of this deployment, the operations carried out, and the duration demonstrated not only the capabilities of our Airmen, but of the F-35 as a platform.”

By deployment’s end, the transformation was evident. Junior pilots with no previous combat experience had planned major missions. Experienced maintainers mentored younger personnel while elevating competency across regional F-35 units. The Air Force’s transparent account demonstrates that the F-35 force has matured into a combat-proven capability capable of executing sustained, high-end missions across the full spectrum of threat environments.

Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764212446222-987