An F-35C stealth fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier deployed in the Middle East, a US military spokesman said.
The downing of the Iranian drone was the second incident between the US and Iran in the tumultuous Middle Eastern waters.
Earlier, a US-flagged tanker was threatened by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, before continuing on its way, US Central Command said.
CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats and a drone approached the US-flagged ship M/V Stena Imperative “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker.”
A US destroyer, the USS McFaul, responded with support from the US Air Force and escorted the tanker, which is now “proceeding safely,” Hawkins added.
British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech had earlier reported that the Stena Imperative was approached by three pairs of small armed boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards while transiting the strait approximately 16 nautical miles north of Oman.
The gunboats ordered the captain “to stop the engines and prepare to be boarded”; however, the vessel increased speed and maintained course, the firm added, emphasizing it did not infiltrate Iranian territorial waters.
Meanwhile, news agency Fars said a vessel had breached Iran’s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, at which point Iranian gunboats “requested” that it present the required approvals.
“The vessel had no legal authorisation to be in these waters,” Fars said. “It was therefore warned and immediately left Iranian waters.”
F-35C Shoots Down Iranian Drone
“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense,” Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said.
The Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Middle East after conducting operations in the Indo-Pacific, including Northern Edge 2025. The carrier and its strike group (CSG) were redirected to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility and arrived in the Middle East on 26th January 2026.
What is interesting is that Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), which is deployed on the Lincoln. It consists of eight squadrons flying F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22B Ospreys, and MH-60R/S Sea Hawks.
One noteworthy component of CVW-9 is the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, the “Black Knights”, the Marine Corps’ first operational F-35C squadron.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was one of the first Nimitz-class carriers to be fully modified (with upgrades to catapults, arresting gear, the flight deck, and many other systems) to support F-35C operations.
While the USS Carl Vinson was the first to deploy F-35Cs, the Lincoln made history by embarking the first Marine Corps F-35C squadron during its 2022 deployment.
“The Black Knight’s deployment of F-35C Lightning II aboard USS Abraham Lincoln is the newest chapter in the Marine Corps’ long history of naval integration,” said Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, 3rd MAW commanding general. The deployment represents years of hard work and innovation by the Marines and Sailors of VMFA-314, MAG-11, and 3rd MAW. It also reinforces our commitment to fielding the most lethal and ready Navy-Marine Corps force as we project warfighting capabilities throughout the Indo-Pacific region, or globally wherever our nation calls.”
The F-35C’s presence marks a substantial evolution for the US aircraft carriers, and this deployment is among the most noticeable examples of the warplane operating in tempestuous waters.
The F-35 family includes three variants:
F-35A: The conventional takeoff and landing version used by the USAF and many allies. It can only be operated from land bases.
F-35B: The short takeoff/vertical landing variant operated by the Marine Corps from amphibious assault ships.
F-35C: The carrier-capable version built specifically for US Navy aircraft carriers, with larger wings, reinforced landing gear, folding wingtips, and the longest range.
The F-35C brings true fifth-generation stealth fighter capability to the carrier air wing for the first time on a sustained, operational level, something that legacy F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets could not match.
The F-35C is the only variant of the Joint Strike Fighter purpose-built for catapult launches and arrested landings on nuclear supercarriers. Unlike the land-based F-35A or the jump-jet F-35B used on amphibious ships, the F-35C offers significantly greater range (over 1,200 nautical miles), larger internal weapons bays, and superior endurance, making it ideal for long-range operations from the vast ocean.
The F-35C jets tremendously boost a carrier strike group’s capabilities. These stealthy warplanes are nearly invisible to enemy radars and can easily penetrate even the most advanced air defense systems.
It has advanced sensor fusion to create a shared battlespace picture for the entire air wing, and can conduct precision strikes or intercept threats, as demonstrated by the Iranian drone shootdown.
Compared to earlier deployments of F-35Bs on amphibious ships (limited by shorter range and payload) or F-35As on distant land bases, the F-35C on USS Lincoln provides unmatched airpower exactly where it is needed and in this case at Iran’s doorstep.
The F-35C can carry more than 5,000 lbs of internal weapons, or over 18,000 lbs of combined internal and external weapons. This allows the US Navy to operate in stealth when necessary, or increase lethality with additional weapons externally when required.
The F-35C can also operate as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) asset, sharing information with all networked ground, sea, and air assets in the battlespace.
Meanwhile, speaking after the downing of the Iranian drone, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that negotiations between the US and Iran are still scheduled for later this week.
She said Trump “remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first”, but added he “has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force”.
US President Donald Trump earlier said he is hopeful Washington will “work something out” with Tehran, but also warned that “bad things would happen” if a deal was not reached.
