Israeli Fighter Pilot Blows Our Minds | Brand New Footage
History in the skies: An Israeli F-35I "Adir" records the first-ever manned air-to-air kill by an F-35, downing an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran. Pilot's chilling "Target Down" report as Operation Roaring Lion secures total air superiority.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Wednesday that a piloted Iranian aircraft - identified as a Russian-made Yak-130 - was intercepted and destroyed by an Israeli F-35I Adir during the "tenth wave" of strikes over the Iranian capital.
Kan News military correspondent Itay Blumenthal released the first cockpit recordings and footage of the engagement. In the audio, the Israeli pilot is heard calmly reporting: "Executed, the target is down. Proceeding to the [next] strike."
The brief but historic dogfight occurred as the IAF conducted wide-scale operations against the regime's command-and-control infrastructure. According to the IDF, the shootdown marks the first time in roughly 40 years that the Israeli Air Force has engaged in air-to-air combat with a manned aircraft, the last being in 1985 over Lebanon.
Military analysts note the lopsided nature of the engagement:
The F-35I Adir: A fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter equipped with advanced sensors and internal weapons bays.
The Yak-130: A subsonic, Russian-manufactured advanced trainer and light attack jet. While capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, it lacks the stealth and radar capabilities of the F-35.
Major General Tomer Bar, Commander of the IAF, personally congratulated the pilot upon landing at Nevatim Airbase, stating, "The historic interception over the skies of Tehran is an expression of the air force's power and your personal determination."
The aerial victory took place as part of*Operation Roaring Lion, the Israeli component of a broader U.S.-led campaign (Operation Epic Fury). Since the conflict began on February 28, the IAF has dropped over 4,000 munitions on Iranian targets, focusing on: