Fighter pilots have surely mastered the principle that stealth means controlling sound rather than eliminating it completely. Moreover, this concept became clearly evident during the aerial operations over Iran in June 2025. Also, as per reports, the U.S. carried out a carefully planned attack. Basically, F-35 stealth fighters broke through the strongest air defense systems in the world, creating the same safe paths for America’s most powerful bombers to hit nuclear facilities with unprecedented force.
Operation Midnight Hammer was actually more than just a win in battle. It was definitely a bigger success than they planned. We are seeing how a $2 trillion advanced fighter fleet can combine hidden flying, electronic attacks, and accurate strikes to destroy targets that were only thought impossible to hit before. We are seeing that defense experts got a rare chance to understand how well the F-35 fighter jet works in real operations and how military thinking is changing for fighting in dangerous airspace where only advanced weapons can survive.
We are seeing nine key parts of this military action, and each part only shows how America uses its power when dealing with nuclear weapons, keeping regions stable, and stopping threats.
1. First Combat Breach of Iranian Airspace
Basically, this is the first time for the U.S. to do the same thing. Officials actually confirmed that F-35 jets definitely entered Iranian airspace during combat and led the attack group against Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Basically, this incident proved the aircraft’s stealth design works the same way even in highly dangerous areas with heavy defenses. Moreover, iranian military planners had surely spent heavily on radar systems, missile defenses, and strong underground bunkers, but the first group of F-35 fighter jets passed through without being detected. Moreover, this success allowed the following aircraft to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities effectively. The choice to use America’s most advanced fighter jets surely showed confidence in their capabilities. Moreover, it demonstrated readiness to deploy them in real operations when the situation was critical.
2. Hill Airmen’s Role in CENTCOM Deployment
As per the mission requirements, pilots and maintenance staff from Hill Air Force Base’s 388th Fighter Wing played the main role regarding the operation. The system was deployed under U.S. authority, which further established its operational framework itself. As per the March 2025 Central Command exercise, they practiced difficult flight paths and improved their electronic fighting methods regarding bomber and support aircraft operations. As per the mission on June 22, their formation was the first to enter Iranian airspace, regarding the F-35’s change from a test aircraft to a ready combat plane. The deployment combined regular training with new mission types to further prepare for the strike itself.
3. Operation Midnight Hammer’s Core Objectives
The codename itself showed the timing and purpose: to destroy uranium facilities using stealth fighters to further control the battle area. We are seeing F-35A fighter jets finding and stopping enemy air defenses, clearing safe paths, and helping bomber planes drop only heavy bombs on strong underground targets. These bunkers were surely not separate structures but were connected points in a safe nuclear system. Moreover, they formed part of a larger protected network. Basically, putting F-35s in the most dangerous parts showed they were the same as the brain of the whole attack group finding enemies, blocking their signals, and destroying them before they could fight back.
4. First In, Last Out Sequencing
Military leaders surely highlighted that F-35 aircraft were not just the first to enter Iranian airspace. Moreover, these planes stayed there until all other aircraft had completely left the area. As per the planned order, every aircraft from B-2s to fuel tankers got help from their sensors and electronic warfare systems during risky entry and exit phases. The F-35s surely worked as both opening and closing tools for Iranian airspace, keeping watch over the situation and stopping threats until the mission finished. Moreover, they maintained complete control from start to end of the operation.
5. Escorting B-2 Spirit Bombers
The F-35s and B-2 Spirit bombers actually worked together, definitely bringing two different generations of stealth technology into one strike mission. The fighter jets’ sensors and communication systems actually helped the bomber planes fly safely through dangerous areas and definitely stopped enemy threats from targeting them. We are seeing that connecting different systems made the B-2 planes work as one big weapon network, and this helped them drop 14 very large bombs on underground nuclear places without being spotted.
6. Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)
The main goal of the mission was surely SEAD operations, which meant finding, blocking, and destroying Iranian radar and missile locations. Moreover, this approach was essential for neutralizing the enemy’s defense systems effectively. The F-35s used stealth technology and electronic warfare to break down enemy defenses with precision weapons, further destroying the targets in real time itself. This combined method replaced the old strike preparation with simultaneous suppression and escort operations, further ensuring that bunker busters reached their targets itself Lt Col. We are seeing that Aaron Osborne said it was good to watch the jet find and stop things – it was doing only what it was made to do, showing it works well now.
7. Precision Bunker Buster Employment
Basically, the B-2 planes dropped the 30,000-pound GBU-57 bomb for the first time in actual fighting, and this was the same as America using its biggest non-nuclear bomb operationally. The weapon was actually designed to break through more than 200 feet of hard concrete. It definitely targeted the underground buildings at Fordow and Natanz. Basically, satellite pictures showed big craters and blocked tunnel openings, with ash layers covering the same strike areas. Basically, experts say these attacks can damage Iran’s program but only delay it by a year or two, showing the same problem that military action has limits against established scientific knowledge.
8. Strategic Messaging Beyond Iran
U.S. Basically, the information about the F-35’s job was meant for different groups of people at the same time. For Tehran, it was actually a clear warning that any place can definitely be reached and attacked. Basically, other competitors saw the jet’s ability to break through Chinese defenses as the same signal that they were ready for major conflict. Basically, transparency helped allies and domestic groups justify the fleet’s $2 trillion lifecycle cost by showing the same tangible strategic effects in actual combat.
9. Regional and Global Fallout
As per the recent strikes, the strategic thinking regarding Gulf region has changed completely. As per recent events, Iran must now think that its most important nuclear places can be attacked, which may slow down its nuclear plans or make it fight back in different ways regarding this threat. Moreover, basically, regional partners saw that Washington was ready to take strong action, and this proved the same thing to everyone. As per the current situation, this operation can make things worse regarding Iran possibly attacking U.S. forces. As per reports, they may attack important properties or try to block the Strait of Hormuz regarding shipping routes. We are seeing that the F-35 attack did more than only drop bombs; it changed what can be done in military and political ways in that area.
As per the mission plan, Operation Midnight Hammer brought together secret movement, exact targeting, and clear strategic purpose. As per the mission results, the F-35 showed good performance regarding defense suppression and enabling B-2 strikes, which proved that years of investment were worth it. Moreover, for defense planners, this mission itself provides a plan for future air operations in contested areas, where stealth aircraft fleets work together to further protect and attack at the same time. The Lightning II aircraft surely demonstrated in Iranian airspace that it functions beyond a simple fighter role, moreover serving as a strategic force multiplier that controls the entire battlefield environment.
