An Israeli F-35I stealth fighter has shot down an Iranian YAK-130 jet in the first confirmed air-to-air victory for the F-35, the Israeli military announced on Wednesday.
The downing occurred in the first fighter jet dogfight of the ongoing war with Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. It marked the first time in 40 years that the Israeli Air Force had downed an enemy aircraft, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The Russian-made YAK-130, which entered production in the 1990s, is primarily used as an advanced trainer for pilots of more sophisticated jets such as the SU-57 but can also serve as an attack aircraft. Iran’s air force consists largely of antiquated F-4 and F-5 fighters that pose little threat to Israel’s F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s, though the YAK-130 is more advanced than many in Tehran’s fleet. Any Iranian fighter jets could complicate operations for Israeli and U.S. drones and make close-range “stand-in” attacks more difficult.
Israel and the United States established general air supremacy over the Tehran area within the first two days of the conflict, allowing extended operations above targets.
On Sunday afternoon, Israeli forces bombed two Iranian jets — an F-4 and an F-5 — on the runway just before they could take off.
The last Israeli Air Force air-to-air kill came on November 24, 1985, when an F-15 downed two Syrian MiG-23s over Lebanon. The IDF has since released footage showing strikes on dozens of Iranian air defense systems during Operation Roaring Lion, which it said strengthened its aerial superiority across Iran.
Separately, British Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35B jets recorded their first confirmed combat kill by shooting down an Iranian drone over Jordan. The RAF described the interception as “the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target on operations.”
Britain received its first F-35s in 2012 and reached initial operational capability in 2018.
An RAF Typhoon also used an air-to-air missile to down another Iranian drone in Iraqi airspace that was heading toward Qatar.
For more in-depth prior coverage on Operation Epic Fury and related developments, check out these key reports from The Dallas Express:
- First Torpedo Sinking Of Enemy Ship Since WWII: US Sub Torpedoes Iranian Warship
- Tehran’s Own Cameras Betrayed Khamenei: The Hidden Spy Op That Helped End Iran’s Top Man
- U.S. Launching “24/7 Strikes” On Iran From “Seabed To Space And Cyberspace”
- Trump Sends Formal War Powers Resolution Notification To Congress: Operation Epic Fury
- Israel Reportedly Strikes Tehran Mehrabad Airport: Reports Follow Iran’s Airport Attacks, US Death Toll Hits 6
- War Powers Act vs. Iran Strikes: A Constitutional Look
- No Endless War: Hegseth Says Strikes Against Iran Are Laser-Focused
- Khamenei Reportedly Dead: Iran’s Supreme Leader Killed In Operation Epic Fury
- Fourth American Dies From Iran Attack Wounds; Separately, 6 Pilots Eject Safely From Friendly Fire Jet Downings
- Trump Says Khamenei Is Dead, Iranian Forces Seeking Immunity, Urges Iranians To “Take Back” Country
- “Operation Epic Fury Unleashed: The World Is Watching”
- “First Combat Use: How CENTCOM’s Budget One-Way Attack Drones Changed The Game In Operation Epic Fury”
- “President Trump Announces ‘Major Combat Operations’ As U.S., Israel Strike Iran”
- “Missile Attack Reported At U.S. Navy 5th Fleet Service Center In Bahrain”
