An Israeli F-35 scored the fighter jet’s first-ever air-to-air kill on Wednesday, downing an Iranian jet over Tehran during Operation Roaring Lion, Israel’s part in Operation Epic Fury.
The Israeli army announced the kill on Wednesday, saying an Israeli Air Force F-35I “Adir” fighter jet had shot down a multirole Iranian Air Force Yak-130 fighter jet in a dogfight. As pointed out by the Israeli army, the shootdown marked the first time the fifth-generation aircraft had shot down a piloted enemy aircraft since it entered service over a decade ago.
An Israeli military spokesman said the dogfight lasted a “few seconds.”
A video posted on social media purports to have shown the dogfight, with a smoking plane falling from the sky.
The victory by the F-35 comes as no surprise — the stealth fighter is one of the most advanced in the world, while the Yak-130 is usually used as a trainer aircraft to prepare pilots for the use of more advanced jets. Tehran typically uses it for reconnaissance, but it can also engage in air-to-air combat and light ground support roles.
Nevertheless, the 1990s-era aircraft is one of the most advanced in Iran’s air force — Tehran still largely relies on planes imported by the Shah from the U.S. over half a century ago, including the F-14 Tomcat and F-4 Phantom.
Tomer Bar, head of the Israeli Air Force, personally congratulated the pilot after he landed.
The shootdown was also the first time in over 40 years that Israel had downed an enemy aircraft, the last time being when an Israeli F-15 downed two Syrian MiG-23s over Lebanon in 1985.
Israel’s F-35s also scored the aircraft’s first-ever air-to-air kill of an unmanned aircraft, shooting down two Iranian drones in March 2021.
Though the F-35 was touted as a game-changing aircraft, fit for several purposes, the lack of direct combat with peer rivals meant it hadn’t been able to prove itself in dogfights. It has instead focused on ground strike roles, playing a central role in U.S. and Israeli air campaigns around the Middle East.
THREAT FROM IRANIAN RETALIATION STRIKES SPREADS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST, TARGETING EMBASSIES AND AIRPORTS
The British Royal Air Force also scored its F-35s’ first-ever air-to-air kills during the lasting conflict with Iran, downing two drones over Jordan.
Targeting Iran’s air force is lower on the U.S. and Israel’s priority list, as Tehran largely forfeited attempts to build a modern air force in favor of its missile program. Much of the air force was taken out in the opening strikes of the conflict, including an F4 and F5 that were taken out as they were preparing to take off on Saturday, according to the Jerusalem Post.
