The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released a dramatic video showing an Israeli F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jet shooting down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran. This incident marks the first time the advanced F-35I has successfully engaged and downed a manned fighter aircraft in combat.

In the video, amid the iconic strains of the “Star Wars” theme, the pilot can be heard announcing, “Completed. Target down. The target is down,” confirming the successful operation.

The Israeli military highlighted this event as a significant achievement for its F-35 fleet, emphasizing its strategic importance. The shootdown over Tehran is considered a crucial milestone, demonstrating the capabilities of Israel’s air defense.

Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, who leads the Israeli air force, praised the pilots involved in the mission dubbed Operation Roaring Lion. He acknowledged their skill and dedication in executing such a pivotal task.

In his remarks, Maj. Gen. Bar stated, “The historic shootdown over Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination. The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest. The next mission is already waiting for you.”

“The historic shoot down over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination,” Bar said. “The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest. The next mission is already waiting for you.”

The F-35I is Israel’s customized version of the U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation stealth fighter that anchors the country’s air fleet. 

Israel became the first country to select the aircraft through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process in 2010 and received its first jet in June 2016.

An Iranian Yak-130 is struck midair by an Israeli F-35I “Adir” during a high-stakes confrontation. (@IDF/X)

The Israeli air force gave the aircraft the Hebrew name “Adir,” meaning “Mighty One.”

The Yak-130, by contrast, is a Russian-made, two-seat combat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau and manufactured by United Aircraft Corporation. 

It first flew in 1996 and remains in active production.

Iran received its first Yak-130 aircraft in September 2023, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster, as part of a broader effort to modernize its air force.

A Russian-made Yak-130 subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft maneuvers during a flying display on the third day of the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire, England, on July 11, 2012. (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

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 additional Yak-130 trainers to join the country’s armed forces.

Iran previously acquired MiG-29 fighter jets from Russia in the 1990s.

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