Israel’s military announced Wednesday that one of its F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jets shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130, marking the first time this advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter in combat.
“This historic shootdown above Tehran’s skies is a testament to the strength of the and your personal resolve,” stated Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the Israeli Air Force commander.
“The war isn’t over—return home safely and get some rest,” he told . “Your next mission is already waiting.”
The F-35I is Israel’s tailored variant of the U.S.-built F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter that serves as the backbone of the country’s air fleet.
Per the official website of the F-35 program, Israel was the first nation to choose this aircraft via the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process, putting pen to a letter of agreement in October 2010.
The site notes that the Israeli Air Force bestowed the Hebrew name “Adir” (meaning “Mighty One”) upon the jet and received its first F-35 on June 22, 2016.
The Yak-130 is a Russian-built, two-seat combat training plane designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau—this per United Aircraft Corporation, the state-owned Russian aerospace firm that produces the aircraft.
It had its in 1996 and is currently being actively produced.
Iran’s Air Force received its first Yak-130 training aircraft in September 2023, per Press TV—Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.
In November 2023, Brig. Gen. Mahdi Farahi—Iran’s deputy defense minister—told Tasnim (a semi-official Iranian news agency) that plans had been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 trainers to join the country’s armed forces.
Tasnim reported that Iran had previously obtained MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia during the 1990s.