Israel says fighter jet took down Iranian warplane, the first shootdown of its kind

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Israel’s military said Wednesday that one of its F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jets shot down an Iranian Air Force Yak-130, marking the first time the advanced aircraft has downed a manned fighter in combat.

“The historic shootdown over the Tehran skies is a testament to the strength of the Israeli Air Force and to your personal determination,” said Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, the commander of the Israeli Air Force.

“The war continues – return home safely. Get some rest,” he told the pilots. “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.

According to the F-35 program’s official website, Israel became the first country to select the aircraft through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales process, signing a letter of agreement in October 2010.

The site says the Israeli Air Force gave the jet the Hebrew name “Adir,” meaning “Mighty One,” and received its first F-35 on June 22, 2016.

The Yak-130 is a Russian-made, two-seat combat training aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, according to United Aircraft Corporation, the state-owned Russian aerospace company that manufactures the jet.

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A Yak-130 jet performs aerial maneuvers during an airshow demonstration in southern England.

It made its maiden flight in 1996 and is currently in active production.

Iran’s air force received its first Yak-130 training aircraft in September 2023, according to Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language broadcaster.

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Two military jets and additional aircraft bank in tight formation during a demonstration flight over Kish Island.

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