It didn't hit him. You can tell by the jet plume from the missile. It's elongated, had it hit him it would have been a fireball. What you saw was likely the proximity fuse on the missile. Whoever Smoothie X12 is he/she is carrying water for the IRGC. They are the ones who said the jet crashed in the Indian Ocean. CENTCOM fact checked them... https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2036869094595568037
CENTCOM:
FALSE: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a U.S. F/A-18 fighter was struck over Chabahar using new advanced air defense systems.
TRUE: No U.S. fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran.
A YouTube video that I watched yesterday said that the aircraft was damaged by shrapnel. The YouTube video I believe is from a channel run by the Pentagon. Lots of good graphics, up to the minute info, definitely a high cadence highly funded media operation
Not hit, No damage. The jet did a strafing run and the maneuver you saw was not avoidance but SOP after a strafing run. So basically the IRGC had a sitting duck and still couldn't hit it.
Unlike the movie, these jets use chafe not flares to bait missiles into false tracking because chafe shows up on radar which most missiles use these days not heat seek. Flares look great for film but chafe doesn't show up well…which is why you prob cant see it here
What you say is true. This was likely a MANPAD, meaning IR guidance, however. Have a look at the video. Did you see any flares? I'm not sure I did, though.
i hope he returned the favor and stuffed one up their ass...
Smoothie X12 said this morning that the tailplanes lost controls and the plane crash-landed in the ocean.
You can see sparks fly as the Manpad glances the metal. The plane keeps flying, but ...
It didn't hit him. You can tell by the jet plume from the missile. It's elongated, had it hit him it would have been a fireball. What you saw was likely the proximity fuse on the missile. Whoever Smoothie X12 is he/she is carrying water for the IRGC. They are the ones who said the jet crashed in the Indian Ocean. CENTCOM fact checked them... https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2036869094595568037
CENTCOM:
FALSE: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a U.S. F/A-18 fighter was struck over Chabahar using new advanced air defense systems.
TRUE: No U.S. fighter aircraft have been shot down by Iran.
Glad to hear it, fren
I believe this as well - the jet was not hit. BUT - CENTCOM needs to find someone better to do their fact-checking tweets.
Re-read their actual response:
Did you notice they didn't say the plane wasn't hit - they said no planes were shot down. That just invites more crap from the fake news.
A YouTube video that I watched yesterday said that the aircraft was damaged by shrapnel. The YouTube video I believe is from a channel run by the Pentagon. Lots of good graphics, up to the minute info, definitely a high cadence highly funded media operation
LOL, as if he 'Strela' or the 'Igla' qualify
Maverick would have just hit the brakes.
Not hit, No damage. The jet did a strafing run and the maneuver you saw was not avoidance but SOP after a strafing run. So basically the IRGC had a sitting duck and still couldn't hit it.
https://theaviationist.com/2026/03/26/super-hornets-near-miss-iranian-manpads/
Unlike the movie, these jets use chafe not flares to bait missiles into false tracking because chafe shows up on radar which most missiles use these days not heat seek. Flares look great for film but chafe doesn't show up well…which is why you prob cant see it here
What you say is true. This was likely a MANPAD, meaning IR guidance, however. Have a look at the video. Did you see any flares? I'm not sure I did, though.
Manpads indeed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-portable_air-defense_system