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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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The Israel Defense Forces said one of its F-35 fighter jets had shot down an Iranian warplane over Tehran, marking a historic first as the war against Iran thunders on.
"An Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jet ('Adir') shot down an Iranian Air Force YAK-130 fighter jet a short while ago over the skies of Tehran," the IDF said in a Wednesday morning post on Telegram. "This is the first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35 ('Adir') fighter jet."
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Before now, F-35s were known to have shot down only unmanned aerial targets, such as drones.
F-35 jets are manufactured by the U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin. The stealth, multirole fighters are in their fifth generation. Iran's YAK-130 is a Russian-designed light attack aircraft also used as a training jet.
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The U.K. Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that a Royal Air Force F-35B jet had shot down "uncrewed aerial systems" over Jordanian airspace. It was the first time an RAF F-35 shot down a target on operations, the British ministry said.
According to The Times of Israel, the shootdown of the YAK-130 is the first time an Israeli Air Force (IAF) jet has been in air-to-air combat with a manned aircraft in more than 40 years. The last time was in November 1985 when an IAF F-15 shot down two Syrian MiG-23 fighter jets, per the report.
F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jet
The F‑35 Lightning II is a modern fighter jet built by U.S. defense company Lockheed Martin. It is designed to do many jobs at once, including engaging in air combat, bombing targets on the ground and gathering intelligence.
It has a top speed of about Mach 1.6, or 1,200 miles per hour, though this performance depends on weight and mission load.
Stealth is one of the F‑35's defining features. Its shape and materials make it hard for enemy radar to detect.
The advanced, fifth-generation jet also carries powerful sensors that can spot threats from long distances and share that information instantly with other aircraft, ships and troops.
Pilots often describe it as a "flying computer" because it brings together data from many sources and displays it clearly in the cockpit.
There are three main versions of the jet: One for regular runways, one that can take off from aircraft carriers and one that can land vertically.
The F‑35 is used by the U.S. and many allied countries—including Israel's modified F-35I "Adir"—making it one of the most widely deployed fighter jets in the world.
YAK-130 Fighter Jet
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The YAK‑130 is a Russian‑made military jet designed mainly to train fighter pilots, but it can also carry weapons for light combat missions and has been used for this purpose by the Iranian Air Force during the current war.
The jet is built by the Yakovlev design bureau and has been in service since the 2010s.
It is used to train pilots who will later fly advanced Russian-designed fighters such as the Su‑30, Su‑35 or MiG‑29.
The YAK‑130's advantage is that its onboard computers can mimic the handling and systems of more modern jets, helping pilots prepare without flying a frontline aircraft.
This aircraft has two engines, a top speed just below supersonic, and modern cockpit displays similar to those found in advanced fighters.
While it is not stealthy or designed for high‑end air combat, it can carry bombs, rockets and missiles for ground attack or patrol roles.
Russia and several other countries use the YAK-130, including Iran, which recently added it to its air force.
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