A promotional photo of an Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35I “Adir” stealth multi-role fighter jet. An Israeli F-35I recently shot down an Iranian Yak-130, marking the F-35’s first manned air-to-air kill anywhere in the world. (Israeli Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Unit)

Israel’s Mighty F-35I Adir Just Shot Down an Iranian Fighter Jet

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The F-35I destroyed an Iranian Air Force Yak-130 light attack aircraft—a result that should come as no surprise, given the vast disparity in the two planes’ capabilities.

The Israel Air Force (IAF) F-35I Adir will soon sport a new “kill marking” after it was confirmed that the fighter shot down an Iranian fighter. 

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) announced on Wednesday that the IAF downed a Russian-made Yakovlev Yak-130 (NATO reporting name “Mitten”) subsonic light combat aircraft. The Islamic Republic was reported to have operated eight of the two-seat YAK-130s, both as advanced jet trainers and in a light attack role.

“This is the first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 (‘Adir’) fighter jet,” the IDF announced in a post on the Telegram social media app, per Newsweek.

This Is the First Manned Kill by an F-35 Anywhere

This aerial victory is noteworthy for two reasons. It is the first known aerial victory of an F-35 against a manned enemy fighter jet anywhere in the world. All previous “kills” involving the fifth-generation stealth fighter had involved unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including loitering munitions, drones, and missiles—none of which are typically a challenge to the more advanced F-35.

The kill on Wednesday was also the first IDF victory against manned fighters in more than four decades.

“The last time the Israel Air Force shot down an aircraft was on November 24, 1985, during an aerial engagement over Lebanon. In that clash, an IAF F-15 ‘Baz’ downed two Syrian MiG-23 fighter jets,” The Jerusalem Post reported.

F-35I vs. YAK-130: Not a Fair Fight

It could be argued that it wasn’t a fair fight on numerous levels.

The F-35 is the most advanced multirole fighter in the world, equipped with numerous beyond-visual-range weapons. The F-35I Adir may have also been operating in stealth mode, so the YAK-130’s pilot may not have even known he was being targeted.

By contrast, the YAK-130 is subsonic only. It was developed as a trainer for more advanced aircraft, and although capable in that role—and even as a light combat aircraft—it is no match for the F-35 under virtually any circumstances.

This is setting aside the skill of the pilots, which is another point in Israel’s favor. The Israeli Air Force has some of the best combat pilots in the world, provides advanced training, and has the best-maintained fighters. In contrast, the Islamic Republic regularly struggles to keep its aircraft in service.

F-35I Adir vs. Yak-130: A Curbstomp Waiting to Happen

Around 200 YAK-130s have been produced, with most manufactured by the Russian-based Irkut Corporation. Developed as a trainer for the Russian Aerospace Forces, the YAK-130 has been exported as a low-cost light combat fighter to Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

“The serial YAK-130 is a two-seat, light training jet, boasting a standard swept-wing design, hinged canopies, and light-weight alloy construction. With a shorter fuselage and less aggressively rounded nose than the YAK-130D, the Yak-130 is designed to maintain stable flight at angles of attack up to 35 degrees,” Mark Episkopos of The National Interest wrote on the aircraft in 2021. “An impressive thrust/weight ratio of .7 enables a high rate of climb (RoC) and opens the possibility of take-off in suboptimal conditions.”

The twin-seat aircraft is equipped with fly-by-wire controls, a helmet-mounted display system, and a dual GPS/GLONASS suite for navigation and targeting.

Under normal circumstances, the YAK-130 would be considered a capable fighter for countries with limited budgets. But against the F-35, the plane stands little chance of survival.

The F-35I Adir Is Israel’s Most Advanced Fighter Jet

Israel’s interest in the F-35 jet program dates back to the early 2000s, when the IAF explicitly committed to replacing its aging F-16 fleet with at least 100 F-35A aircraft. The Jewish state signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) to purchase the advanced aircraft in 2010. It became the first foreign operator of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on June 22, 2016, when the IAF received its initial F-35A at a ceremony at the aerospace firm’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

The IAF declared its F-35 fleet operationally capable in December 2017, marking the completion of an intensive integration and training effort conducted at Nevatim Air Force Base (AFB), Israel.

Israel remains the only operator of the advanced stealth aircraft in the Middle East, and there are two IAF squadrons equipped with the F-35I Adir (meaning “Mighty One” in Hebrew), the specially modified “Israeli only” version of the Lightning II.

The F-35I models are broadly equivalent to the F-35A, but incorporate Israeli-made technology and weapons, including a domestic advanced electronic warfare (EW) suite layered on top of the jet’s existing avionics.

Additional changes include special, IAF-tailored helmet-mounted displays, bespoke datalink functionality specific to the Israel Defense Forces, and enhancements to the F-35’s already-potent data-gathering and processing capabilities. All of these enhancements have been significant enough to warrant the ‘I’ designation, making the F-35I one of the few formally acknowledged F-35 variants.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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