The long-range air defence system called Arman is displayed during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran, in this picture obtained on February 17, 2024.

On June 16, the Deputy Governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province announced that an Israeli F-35 fighter jet was shot down over the skies of Tabriz. How did Iran manage to do that? Iranian media Press TV reported the details of the operation. If their account is accurate, the tactic used by the Iranian military is the same one that China developed 63 years ago specifically to shoot down U.S. aircraft.

According to Press TV, during the first day of the operation, Israel deployed F-35s to target Iran’s air defence radars. Although the Israelis believed they had completely disabled Iran’s ground-based air defence, in reality, many of the radar systems were decoys deliberately set up by Iran to mislead them—luring Israel into a false sense of security for their follow-up operations. Over the next few days, as the Israelis became more relaxed, Iranian radar systems suddenly activated, catching the F-35 by surprise.

At this point, some might wonder: isn’t the F-35 a stealth fighter? Isn’t it supposed to be undetectable by radar? The answer lies in understanding two basic concepts.

First, stealth aircraft are low-observable, and not completely invisible to radar. If they get close enough, or multiple radar bands work together, there’s still a chance of detecting and locking onto a stealth fighter.

For instance, during NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav radar systems mostly remained silent to avoid being destroyed by American anti-radiation missiles. Instead, they deployed visual observers to track NATO aircraft by sight. After identifying NATO flight patterns, the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade set up an ambush. On March 27, 1999, when a U.S. aircraft came within 5 miles, they activated their radar and locked on to the target. Within 17 seconds, the prepared Yugoslav troops fired and successfully shot down the world’s first stealth aircraft: the F-117.

Canopy of F-117 shot down in Serbia in March 1999 at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade.

Second, whether it’s the F-35 or the F-22, all stealth fighters share one characteristic—their stealth capabilities vary depending on the angle. They are most stealthy from the front, but their sides and rear have a larger radar cross-section (RCS). So, if Iran waited until the F-35 flew overhead and then activated its radar to lock on from the side or rear, the chances of success would be significantly higher.

This ambush-style tactic was first developed by the Chinese military in 1962. During that time, the U.S. aided Taipei with U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, which flew at high altitudes beyond the reach of most anti-aircraft guns and frequently intruded into Mainland China’s airspace. Although PLA had some surface-to-air missiles, the U-2s were equipped with Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) that could identify what kind of radar was tracking them. Once China’s missile radar lit up, the U-2s would flee immediately.

After discovering this behaviour, China’s radar operators began tracking the U-2s with radars operating on different frequencies. When the U-2s got close enough, they would suddenly switch on the missile guidance radar and fire within eight seconds—giving the pilots no time to react. On September 9, 1962, China successfully shot down a U-2 using this method for the first time. They later repeated the tactic to down three more.

Wreckage of a U-2 aircraft in the Beijing Military Museum

Now, Iran claims it has shot down four F-35s. It seems that China’s history has already shown the lesson: those who rely on advanced weaponry to bully other nations should never expect to get away unscathed.

As Mao Zedong once said, “Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive.” And China has an even older piece of military wisdom that certain countries would do well to reflect on: The purpose of war must be to end the war and bring peace to the people—otherwise, if some countries continue to act recklessly, the outcome will inevitably be: “国虽大，好战必亡。” A nation, no matter how large, that warmongers are doomed to perish.

Editor: Charriot Zhai