Let's not ignore people's miseries
Following the terrorist attack on army vehicle in Pulwama that left our soldiers dead, the internal atmosphere of the country has changed so much. No one is speaking about the failures or corruption of the Modi government any more. Having sensed this hunger for war, even Modi is saying the fire is raging high in his heart too. Everyone is basically raging on something or the other, but the homes of those who lost their beloved in this attack are mourning their loss.
This appetite for war has literally set aside the concerns and problems of people on a daily basis. No one is speaking about the failures of the last four and half years. Demonetisation fiasco, people queuing up before banks, innocent people who died in the queues, murders in the name of cow protection, inflation, unemployment, corruption, such raging issues are not points of discussion any more. Everywhere there is an atmosphere of war mongering. In the next three months the ruling party is all set to take the country into another election.
PM is all enthused after this incident. Common people affected by inflation and bad economic situation are being called anti nationals if they speak about the issues they are facing. Attacks have become on artists writers thinkers and rationalists who were vocal about their objection to Modi and Sangh Parivar. Modi bhakts have shouted slogans against actor Prakash Rao who visited the home of martyred soldier from Mandya to donate Rs 5 Lakh to his family. This incident has helped cover up the biggest defence scandal of Rafael agreement. Modi government has not stopped it's vengeful politics. All the ads that were being given to The Hindu paper from central government have been stopped owing to the fact that the paper published some crucial details regarding Rafael scandal.
the last four and a half years of administration by Modi government is completely detrimental to common people. Having described the Parliament as a temple of democracy in 2014, Modi continue to ignore it ever after. Budget was presented without any discussion this year. Democratic institutions have been compromised with at a large extent. One on one hand thousands of farmers were committing suicide over background and on the other thousands lakhs of loans of corporates were being waived off. None of these merit a discussion anymore. The CAG report on Rafale deal is out now. This was presented in the parliament on the last day of 16th Lok Sabha session. Obviously it was not taken up for discussion for lack of time. This report seems to be conducive to the ruling party and does not have answers for many questions that have been raised by various people.
The contract partnership given to Anil Ambani apart from various controversies surrounding the Rafale deal have made it look suspicious. Let nobody will ever discuss these details. The whole Nation has condemned the act of terrorism in Kashmir in solidarity. People's problems and concerns should not be set aside owing to this single act. this should not be used to cover up the failures and lacunae of the government administration. More tragedies will take place when the government itself talks about war and people will never be able to achieve peace in the society.
The mask Pakistan wears should be removed for the whole world to see. But we should not view all Pakistan is as enemies based upon the fact that only some people and political leadership have inflicted terrorism. we must hold Pakistan accountable and engage in peace talks as it happened during the term when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister. This should be treated as the lone and sane option for India.
But the ruling dispensation does not seem interested in peace talks. Everybody is talking about instigating the general public and political atmosphere. a certain BJP leader Sadhvi Prachi has called upon prime Minister Modi to repeat the Godhra model of retaliation. In a way she has indicated that Godhra was stage managed by Modi. About 31% people have given the responsibility of taking the country on the path to progress to BJP. But the party is not managing its duties well. Utterances of supporting and starting a war are flying around aplenty. This does not befit the image of India.
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Iran Shocks World, Hits F-35
America's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, was never hit in combat — not once, in its entire history. Countries spend over ₹900 crore to buy just one of these aircraft. The whole world believed this plane was untouchable. Then, on March 19, something happened over Iranian skies that shocked military experts across the globe.
Iran hit it. And nobody saw it coming.
America Was Too Confident — That Was the Problem
Before understanding how this happened, you need to understand what America believed going into this. The US had been bombing Iran since February 28. After roughly 20 days of heavy strikes, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Iran's air defences were completely destroyed — finished, flattened, gone.
US President Donald Trump even said proudly, "We can fly wherever we want, and no one is even firing at us."
Based on this confidence, America flew its prized F-35 deep into the heart of central Iran. That alone tells you how sure they were. You don't send your most expensive jet into enemy territory unless you believe there is zero danger.
But Iran, a country under heavy international sanctions, still had something left. And it used that something extremely well.
So How Did Iran Actually Hit a Stealth Jet?
Here is where it gets interesting for regular people to understand.
We have all heard the word "stealth" — it sounds like the plane is completely invisible. But India Today explained that stealth only means it is hard to detect by radar. Hard — not impossible. It does not mean the aircraft is totally invisible.
Think of it this way. Even if you cannot see someone in a dark room, you can still feel their body heat if they stand close enough. That is almost exactly what happened here.
The F-35's engines produce enormous heat. Iran's weapon likely used an infrared sensor — basically a heat-seeking system — to detect that heat, lock onto it, and follow the jet. No radar needed. The F-35's biggest advantage, its radar-invisibility, simply did not matter.
The weapon Iran likely used was the 358 missile — also called SA-67 — which is a loitering munition. Think of it as a slow, intelligent drone that flies around patiently waiting, scanning the sky for heat signals from aircraft engines. Once it finds one, it chases it down. Iran has used this exact weapon before against American MQ-9 Reaper drones — and since this war started, America has already lost more than 12 of those drones.
This Has Happened Before — In 1999
This is not the first time America's "invisible" aircraft was brought down by a smarter enemy.
In 1999, during NATO's bombing campaign over Serbia, the US flew its F-117 Nighthawk — which was then considered the world's most advanced stealth aircraft. Serbian forces shot it down using an old Soviet missile system from the 1960s. Not with new technology — with clever thinking. They briefly switched on their radar, caught the jet at the right moment when its stealth was less effective, and fired.
The lesson both then and now is the same — no aircraft is completely invincible. Smart tactics can beat expensive technology.
Why This Changes Everything in the Iran War
Here is the bigger picture that really matters.
America and Israel had told the world that Iran's air defences were basically dead. Based on that, they sent massive B-1 and B-2 bombers — aircraft that are normally used only when a country is 100% sure it controls the enemy's sky. That is a huge military risk to take.
But if an F-35 — the most advanced aircraft in the sky — can still be hit, then Iran's defences are clearly not dead. Some pieces are still very much alive and working.
This means the US and Israel may now be forced to completely rethink their war plan. Their jets may need to fly higher, use longer-range weapons, and spend far more time and money finding where Iran's remaining defence systems are hiding underground.
Around 15 countries use the F-35 today. Even India was offered this jet by Trump during PM Modi's White House visit — though India has not shown interest so far.
Geopolitical expert Adam summed it up simply — a heavily sanctioned country just tracked, chased, and hit the world's most expensive stealth jet. That is not a small thing.
Sometimes, one moment changes everything.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
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