Israeli F-35I records first air-to-air kill as Iranian Yak-130 shot down over Tehran
March 4, 2026
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has shot down an Iranian Yak-130 aircraft over Tehran, marking the first time in history that a Lockheed Martin F-35 has destroyed a manned aircraft in air-to-air combat.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the interception was carried out by an F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter during ongoing Israeli air operations over the Iranian capital.
El derribo de Yak-130 por F-35 ISR. Los que graban son miembros de la Guardia Revolucionaria de los Ayatollahs y celebran el derribo porque no saben que es suyo. https://t.co/GTG7Lhdzf5 pic.twitter.com/ThBASKbaIT
— Martin Tuitero (@TuiteroMartin) March 4, 2026
The military said the aircraft destroyed belonged to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF).
“An Israeli Air Force Adir (F-35I) jet shot down an Iranian combat aircraft (YAK-130) over Tehran skies a short time ago,” the IDF said in a statement. “This is the world’s first shootdown of a manned fighter jet by an F-35.”
🛩️IRANIAN JET SHOT DOWN: An IAF F-35I “Adir” fighter jet shot down an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 4, 2026
This is the first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 “Adir” fighter jet.
The incident comes amid a large-scale Israeli air campaign against Iranian military infrastructure as part of what the Israeli military has described as Operation Roaring Lion.
Israeli air campaign over Tehran: 200 fighters and 700 sorties
Israeli officials say the operation has involved an unprecedented scale of air activity.
According to figures released by the IDF, more than 200 fighter aircraft have participated in the operation, flying around 700 sorties in the first phase of the campaign.
Within 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force claimed it had established aerial superiority over Tehran.
The military also reported that over 50 Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched towards Israel had been intercepted.
During the same period, Israeli aircraft reportedly struck hundreds of targets across Iran and Lebanon, including ballistic missile infrastructure and air defence systems.
Israeli officials say the strikes have already neutralised around 300 Iranian missile launchers.
First Israeli air-to-air kill in nearly 40 years
The downing of the Russian-built Iranian Yak-130 also marks the first time in roughly four decades that the Israeli Air Force has engaged and destroyed a manned enemy aircraft in aerial combat.
The last such engagement occurred on 24 November 1985, when Israeli F-15 fighters shot down two Syrian MiG-23 aircraft over Lebanon, according to Israeli media.
Military analysts say the latest incident represents both a technological and historical milestone for the stealth fighter.
The F-35 entered operational service in 2015 and has since been widely used in strike missions, but until now, it had not recorded a confirmed air-to-air kill against another manned aircraft.
Yak-130 vs F-35I: the aircraft involved in the shootdown
The Iranian aircraft shot down was identified as the Yakovlev Yak-130, a Russian-designed advanced jet trainer that can also be configured as a light attack aircraft.
The Yak-130 first entered production in the 1990s and is commonly used to train pilots transitioning to more advanced combat aircraft, including Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter. It can also carry light weapons and perform close-air-support missions.
On the Israeli side, the aircraft involved was the F-35I “Adir”, a customised Israeli version of the F-35 Lightning II.
Israel’s variant integrates locally developed command-and-control and data-fusion systems, allowing it to share targeting and intelligence information in real time with other Israeli aircraft and ground networks.
Israel became the first country to employ the F-35 in combat in 2018, when the aircraft was used in strikes against targets in Syria.
The Israeli Air Force currently operates around 48 F-35I aircraft, with the fleet declared operational in December 2017.
First air-to-air kill for the F-35 programme
The shootdown is likely to draw global attention as the first confirmed air-to-air kill for the fifth-generation fighter, which has until now been used primarily in strike, reconnaissance, and suppression-of-air-defence roles.
Designed with stealth, sensor fusion, and networked warfare capabilities, the aircraft is widely considered one of the most advanced combat platforms currently in service.
With more than 1,000 aircraft delivered worldwide and a growing number of operators, the F-35 programme is expected to remain a cornerstone of Western airpower for decades.
The engagement over Tehran now adds another milestone to the aircraft’s operational record and underscores the role stealth fighters are beginning to play in modern aerial combat.
Featured image: IDF
