A US Navy F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter jet operating from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has shot down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier while it was deployed in the Middle East, a US military spokesman confirmed, marking a significant escalation in already tense regional waters.
The interception was the second serious encounter involving US and Iranian forces in a matter of days, following an earlier incident in which Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboats threatened a US-flagged oil tanker transiting the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Together, the incidents underscore the growing volatility in the region at a time when Washington and Tehran are simultaneously engaging in military signaling and diplomatic maneuvering.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the drone was destroyed in what American officials described as a defensive action aimed at protecting US forces and ensuring freedom of navigation in international waters.
“An F-35C fighter jet from USS Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense,” CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said, adding that the aircraft had approached the carrier strike group in a manner assessed as threatening.
While US officials did not specify the type of Iranian drone involved, Tehran has fielded a wide range of surveillance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in recent years, many of which have been used extensively by Iranian forces and allied militias across the Middle East.
The drone shootdown followed an earlier confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass daily.
CENTCOM said Iranian gunboats attempted to interfere with the passage of the US-flagged tanker M/V Stena Imperative, approaching the vessel at high speed and threatening to board and seize it.
“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,” Captain Hawkins said. “A US Navy destroyer, USS McFaul, responded with support from the US Air Force and escorted the tanker, which is now proceeding safely.”
British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech provided additional details, stating that the tanker 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.
According to the firm, the Iranian boats ordered the tanker’s captain “to stop the engines and prepare to be boarded.” Instead, the vessel increased speed, maintained course, and continued its transit without entering Iranian territorial waters.
Iranian state-aligned news agency Fars, however, offered a sharply different account, claiming the vessel had breached Iran’s territorial waters and lacked proper authorization.
“The vessel had no legal authorisation to be in these waters,” Fars said. “It was therefore warned and immediately left Iranian waters.”
The competing narratives reflect a familiar pattern in US-Iran confrontations, with both sides asserting legal justification while accusing the other of provocation.
At the center of the latest drone incident is the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that was redeployed to the Middle East earlier this year amid growing regional instability.
The carrier strike group had previously conducted operations in the Indo-Pacific, including participation in Exercise Northern Edge 2025, before being redirected to the US Central Command area of responsibility. The Lincoln and its accompanying warships arrived in Middle Eastern waters on January 26, 2026, reinforcing US naval presence at a critical moment.
The deployment is notable not only for its timing but also for the composition of Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), which is embarked aboard the Lincoln and represents one of the most advanced carrier air wings ever fielded by the US Navy.
CVW-9 consists of eight squadrons operating a mix of cutting-edge and proven aircraft, including F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, CMV-22B Ospreys, and MH-60R/S Sea Hawk helicopters.
This diverse and highly integrated air wing gives the Abraham Lincoln strike group exceptional reach, situational awareness, and combat power.
The USS Abraham Lincoln holds a special place in the US Navy’s transition to fifth-generation naval aviation. It was among the first Nimitz-class carriers to undergo extensive modifications enabling full-scale F-35C operations.
These upgrades included improvements to catapult systems, arresting gear, the flight deck, and internal support infrastructure, allowing the carrier to safely and efficiently operate the larger, heavier, and more technologically complex F-35C.
Although USS Carl Vinson was the first US carrier to deploy the F-35C operationally, the Lincoln made history during its 2022 deployment by embarking the first US Marine Corps F-35C squadron, a milestone in Navy-Marine Corps integration.
That squadron, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314)—known as the “Black Knights”—remains one of the most distinctive elements of CVW-9 today.
VMFA-314 is the Marine Corps’ first operational F-35C squadron, and its deployment aboard USS Abraham Lincoln represents a significant evolution in how Marines project airpower from the sea.
“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 Major General Bradford J. Gering, commanding general of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
“This deployment represents years of hard work and innovation by the Marines and Sailors of VMFA-314, MAG-11, and 3rd MAW,” he said. “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.”
That global flexibility is now on full display as Marine-flown F-35Cs operate from a US Navy carrier in close proximity to Iran.
The F-35C Lightning II represents a fundamental shift in carrier-based aviation. It is one of three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter family:
F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing variant operated by the US Air Force and allied air forces from land bases
F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing variant flown by the Marine Corps from amphibious assault ships
F-35C, the carrier-capable version designed specifically for US Navy aircraft carriers
The F-35C features larger wings, reinforced landing gear, folding wingtips, and the longest range of the three variants, making it uniquely suited for sustained operations from nuclear supercarriers.
It is the only Joint Strike Fighter variant purpose-built for catapult launches and arrested landings, and its design allows it to operate effectively across the vast distances of the open ocean.
With a combat radius exceeding 1,200 nautical miles, the F-35C gives carrier strike groups unprecedented reach, allowing them to strike or monitor targets far inland without relying on nearby land bases.
Beyond its range, the F-35C brings true fifth-generation stealth to carrier air wings on a sustained operational basis—something legacy F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets were never designed to provide.
The aircraft’s low observability allows it to penetrate heavily defended airspace, while its advanced sensor suite and data-fusion capabilities create a shared, real-time picture of the battlespace for the entire strike group.
In practical terms, an F-35C can detect threats long before they are visible to other aircraft or ships, share that information instantly, and either engage targets itself or cue other platforms to do so.
The downing of the Iranian drone highlights this capability, demonstrating how the F-35C can act as both a defensive interceptor and a critical node in a networked maritime defense system.
The aircraft can carry more than 5,000 pounds of internal weapons while remaining in stealth configuration, or over 18,000 pounds when external pylons are used, allowing commanders to balance survivability and firepower depending on mission requirements.
In addition to strike and air defense roles, the F-35C can serve as a powerful intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, collecting and disseminating data across air, sea, and land domains.
The presence of F-35Cs aboard USS Abraham Lincoln places advanced US airpower directly at Iran’s doorstep, a fact unlikely to be lost on Tehran’s military planners.
Compared to earlier deployments of F-35Bs aboard amphibious ships—limited by shorter range and payload—or F-35As operating from distant land bases, the carrier-based F-35C provides persistent, flexible, and survivable airpower exactly where it is needed.
The drone shootdown and tanker escort operations illustrate how the carrier strike group can rapidly respond to threats across multiple domains, from air to sea, without escalating to large-scale conflict.
Despite the heightened military activity, US officials insist diplomatic efforts remain on track.
Speaking after news of the drone shootdown emerged, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that negotiations between Washington and Tehran are still scheduled for later this week.
She said President Donald Trump “remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first,” while emphasizing that he “has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force.”
Trump himself has struck a cautiously optimistic tone, saying he hopes the US will “work something out” with Iran, while warning that “bad things would happen” if a deal is not reached.
For now, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its F-35C-equipped air wing remain on station, a visible reminder that even as diplomacy continues, the United States is prepared to defend its forces, its interests, and freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most strategically sensitive regions.
