A U.S. F-35 fighter jet had to make an emergency landing at U.S. air base in the Middle East after it was struck by what is believed to be Iranian fire, CNN reported. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.

The F-35 will also serve as a test bed for technologies that will become commonplace in the next generation of jets. Flying in coordination with AI-enabled drones will become a staple of any sixth-generation fighter, and those new fighter tricks will likely first arrive in the form of the F-35.

Fighter jets remain one of the most important tools in modern military strategy. While new technologies like drones and hypersonic missiles are reshaping warfare, the ability to control the skies still depends on high-performance combat aircraft.

NATO scrambled a reconnaissance plane after a Russian fighter jet violated Estonia's airspace on Wednesday.

Germany and France had pledged to work together on the FCAS sixth-generation fighter jet, but their different priorities for the program appear increasingly irreconcilable.