Israeli F-35 shoots down Iranian fighter jet in historic first for aircraft

This marks the first time an F-35 has ever achieved a confirmed air-to-air takedown.

An Israeli F-35I downed an Iranian YAK-130 in the first fighter jet dogfight of the war, the IDF announced at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The Russian-made YAK-130 started production in the 1990s.

It is generally used as an advanced training aircraft for pilots of the more advanced Russian SU-57 and other such aircraft, but can also be used as an attack aircraft.

On Sunday afternoon, theIDF had bombed Iranian fighter jets moments before they could take off.

Two fighter jets, one an F4 and one an F5, were already out on the runway and preparing to take off when the IDF struck.

YAK-130 More advanced than previously dstroyed Irainian Jets

Iran’s air force, including the F4 and F5 fighters, is mostly antiquated and no real match for Israel’s F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s, but the YAK-130 is more advanced than some of the others.

Any Iranian fighter jets could be problematic for Israeli and American drones and generally complicate the battle space, making it harder for close-range “stand-in” attacks.

Israel and the US established general air supremacy in the Tehran area, where they can carry out stand-in attacks, hovering above potential targets unimpeded for an extended period, within the first two days of the conflict.

First time in 40 years IDF shot downs aircraft

The last time the Israeli Air Force shot down an aircraft was on November 24, 1985, during an aerial engagement over Lebanon. In that clash, an Israel Air Force F-15 “Baz” downed two Syrian MiG-23 fighter jets.

Later, the IDF released footage of the Air Force targeting dozens of Iranian air defense systems during Operation Roaring Lion. The military stated that this bolstered the IDF’s aerial superiority throughout Iran, according to a Wednesday press release.

British F-35 downs Iranian drone

As the Israeli F-35 Adir made its first manned combat kill, British Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35B jets recorded their first confirmed combat kill, shooting down an Iranian drone over Jordan. The UK said that the interception marked “the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target on operations.”

The RAF received their F-35 jets in 2012. The stealth fighters reached initial operational capability status in 2018.

The RAF also intercepted hostile Iranian drones in Iraqi airspace with a Typhoon aircraft using an air-to-air missile to down a drone heading towards Qatar.

Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report