The Israeli Air Force has released video showing one of its F-35 fighter jets shooting down an Iranian aircraft over Tehran. The incident marks the first time an F-35 has downed a manned enemy plane in combat history.
The downing happened on Wednesday when an Israeli F-35I “Adir” intercepted an Iranian Yak-130 jet that had taken off from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport. The Iranian aircraft posed a threat to Israeli planes operating in the area, according to IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.
In cockpit radio communications released by the military, the pilot can be heard saying: “Completed, the target is down, the target is down, continuing to strike”. The video shows the target erupting in flames.
This engagement represents the first air-to-air combat involving Israeli jets and a manned enemy aircraft in roughly 40 years. The last such incident was in November 1985, when an Israeli F-15 shot down two Syrian MiG-23 fighters over Lebanon.
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The F-35I Adir is a fifth-generation stealth fighter with advanced sensors and long-range missiles . The aircraft’s commander at Nevatim Airbase said the jet’s sensors locked onto the target quickly and accurately, allowing a rapid response with no dogfight required.
The Iranian Yak-130 is a Russian-made subsonic jet trainer originally developed by Yakovlev . It can perform light combat roles and carry air-to-air missiles, but it is not designed to fight stealth fighters. Iran received its first Yak-130s from Russia in 2023 to train pilots before planned Su-35 deliveries.
The engagement shows the huge technology gap between the two aircraft . The F-35 likely used beyond-visual-range missiles while the Yak-130 may not have detected the stealth jet until it was too late.
Israel has operated F-35s since 2017 and was the first country to use them in combat . The current fleet includes 48 aircraft with local modifications that make them unique.
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The shootdown demonstrates how fifth-generation fighters change aerial combat. Stealth and sensors let pilots engage threats before being detected, turning traditional dogfights into one-sided engagements.
