F-35 stealth fighters spearheaded strikes deep inside Iran and were the last ones out, Midnight Hammer commanders say

"The American F-35 stealth fighters that participated in the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iran flew hundreds of miles deep into its airspace and were the last ones out, US military commanders revealed this week. F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the Utah-based 388th Fighter Wing escorted the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that dropped over a dozen heavy bunker-buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities in late June."

"After the B-2s dropped a total of 14 bunker-buster bombs - 30,000-pound munitions called GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators - on Iranian nuclear facilities, the F-35s protected their exit from the attack zone. The advanced US fighter jets were the last ones out of Iranian airspace, the 388th Fighter Wing said on Monday, sharing new details on the operation. US officials said Tehran did not fire at any American aircraft during Midnight Hammer."

Operation Midnight Hammer saw F-35A Lightning II fighters from the 388th Fighter Wing escort B-2 Spirit stealth bombers deep into Iranian airspace. The F-35s flew hundreds of miles into Iran, suppressed surface-to-air missile sites, and cleared the way for other combat aircraft during a complex nighttime mission. Seven B-2s dropped 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Iranian nuclear facilities. The F-35s protected the bombers' egress and were the last US jets out of Iranian airspace. US officials reported that Tehran did not fire on American aircraft. The 388th trains routinely for SEAD missions and employs the F-35’s stealth and sensors against SAM threats.

Read at Business Insider