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The Israel Defense Forces released footage on Thursday purportedly capturing the moment an Israeli F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jet successfully intercepted an Iranian air force Yak-130 over Tehran. This incident marks the first time the advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter during active combat.
In the video, which is accompanied by the iconic “Star Wars” theme, the pilot can be heard confirming the success of the mission, stating, “Completed. Target down. The target is down.” For further details, you can view the footage here.
On Wednesday, Israel’s military highlighted the shoot down over Tehran as a significant achievement for its fleet of F-35s. This event underscores the aircraft’s capabilities in live combat scenarios.
Major General Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli air force, praised the pilots who executed the mission, which was part of Operation Roaring Lion, for their skill and precision.
This encounter, featuring an Israeli Air Force F-35I “Adir” taking down an Iranian Yak-130, represents a landmark moment in aerial warfare. (@IDF/X)
“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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