TEHRAN (Kashmir English): Israel has claimed to shoot down an Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) Yak-130 over Tehran, in the first dogfight of the ongoing military conflict between Iran and Israel.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said that “the Israel Air Force (IAF) F-35I ‘Adir’ fighter jet shot down an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet.”
“This is the first shootdown in the history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 “Adir” fighter jet,” the IDF said.
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II entered service in 2015 and is operated by around a dozen countries, including Israel, which fields its own variant of the fighter jet called the “Adir”, The Times of Israel reported.
IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said the historic interception over the skies of Tehran is an expression of the air force’s power and your personal determination, the publication reported.
The Times of Israel report alleged that the F-35 has intercepted missiles and drones in combat in the Middle East, but it had never shot down a crewed jet.
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.
The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a Russian-made, subsonic two-seat training and light combat aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, according to United Aircraft Corporation, the state-owned Russian aerospace company that manufactures the jet.
