F-35 Operates as ‘Elevated Sensor’ to Destroy Cruise Missile The F-35 jet has been used with IBCS before but this most recent intercept broke new ground in several key respects. An airborne F-35 jet recently sent targeting specifics to a ground-based Patriot missile fire control system to track and destroy an approaching cruise missile threat. This small feat shows that the Pentagon has taken a step closer to realizing its multi-year vision for cross-domain combat connectivity. A Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile intercepted a surrogate cruise missile using an F-35 jet as an “elevated sensor” at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.