That is the primary time an F-35 has shot down a manned fighter jet.
We’ll in all probability get extra particulars all through the day, however on Mar. 4, 2026, the Israeli Protection Forces introduced on social media that an F-35I Adir jet belonging to the Israeli Air Pressure shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran.
מטוס אדיר (F35I) של חיל האוויר הישראלי הפיל לפני זמן קצר מטוס קרב איראני (YAK-130) מעל שמי טהרן.
זו הפלה הראשונה בעולם של מטוס קרב מאויש על ידי F-35
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 4, 2026
Right here’s a translation of the textual content posted by the IDF on X:
“An Israeli Air Pressure Adir (F-35I) jet shot down an Iranian fight plane (YAK-130) over Tehran skies a short while in the past.
That is the world’s first shootdown of a manned fighter jet by an F-35.”
Photos of at the least one Yak-130 plane outfitted with air-to-air missiles, allegedly flying over Tehran, have been shared on-line on March 2, 2026, suggesting the IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Pressure) was capable of function the sort regardless of struggling fixed and heavy hits by the Israeli and U.S. forces concerned within the air marketing campaign in opposition to Iran.
پرواز جنگندهها در آسمان #تهرانتصاویر دریافتی و پیامها درباره صدای پرواز جنگندهها، دوشنبه ۱۱ اسفند#Iran #Tehran pic.twitter.com/9oLkRkxe5u
— Vahid On-line (@Vahid) March 2, 2026
The Yak 130 Mitten
The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat superior coach initially developed by Yakovlev and Aermacchi (now Leonardo).
Together with the superior jet coach function, the “Mitten” (Yak-130 NATO’s nickname), capable of replicate the traits of Russian Gen. 4 and 4++ fight plane, is able to fulfill Mild Assault (LA) and Reconnaissance duties and it might carry a payload of three,000 kilograms, together with guided and unguided weapons, exterior gas tanks and digital pods.
The LA model, dubbed YAK-131 and outfitted with mechanical radar (Phazotron) or Passive Electronically Scanned Array (PESA), is deliberate to exchange the Su-25 Frogfoot.The Russian Air Pressure has additionally developed a reconnaissance variant of the Mitten, dubbed Yak-133.
Externally, the Yak-130 bears a big resemblance with Italian M-346 “Grasp”, produced by Leonardo Firm and already operated by the ItAF (Italian Air power), IAF (Israeli Air Pressure), RSAF (Republic of Singapore Air Pressure), Polish Air Pressure, Hellenic Air Pressure, Turkmen Air Pressure and sooner or later Nigerian. Nevertheless, the 2 plane are fully completely different, by way of avionics, engine, with the Grasp being thought-about one of many world’s most superior coach, additionally due to a high notch floor primarily based coaching system.
The primary Yak-130 Mitten plane for the IRIAF have been delivered in 2013, and operated at Iran’s eighth Tactical Air Pressure Base close to Isfahan, forward of the completion of the coaching of the primary group of six Iranian Yak-130 teacher pilots in Russia.
In IRIAF service, the Yak-130’s primarily function is coaching pilots destined to the various fleet of Soviet and U.S-made Chilly Conflict-era, together with the F-14 Tomcats, F-4E Phantom IIs and F-5 Tigers.
Based on studies emerged in October 2024, Russia had accomplished the supply of 12 Yak-130 plane.
In a narrative posted final 12 months, Tehran Instances stated that the Yak-130s are “a platform for coaching pilots on fourth-generation fighters whereas additionally offering restricted fight assist.” In 2025, throughout its first operational train, an Iranian Yak-130 coordinated with two MiG-29s to intercept and destroy a goal drone with an R-73E SRAAM (Brief-Vary Air-to-Air Missile) air-to-air missile, highlighting a secondary fight function.
In a earlier story in regards to the sort we posted right here at The Aviationist, we defined that “whereas unlikely for use in opposition to Israeli fighters just like the F-35, F-15 or the F-16, the jet may turn out to be a power multiplier when used for space protection of navy services or air bases making an attempt to intercept UAVs or cruise missiles.”
Certainly, it seems to be just like the Yak-130 shot down on Mar. 4 over Tehran, was flying a counter-drone mission when it was shot down by the Israeli Air Pressure F-35I.
JUST MINUTES AGO, the Israeli Air Pressure shot down a Yak-130 superior jet coach of the Iranian Air Pressure utilizing an F-35I Adir. The Yak-130 was flying over Tehran to intercept and shoot down Israeli Hermes-900 drones, but it surely was intercepted and destroyed by the Israeli Air Pressure.… pic.twitter.com/lxSrzRAxXx
— Babak Taghvaee – The Disaster Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) March 4, 2026
Replace Mar. 5: video of the shootdown
On Mar. 5, 2026, the Israeli Air Pressure has launched a video, probably recorded via the F-35I’s Electro-Optical Concentrating on System (EOTS), displaying the shootdown. The Yak-130 could be seen within the sensor’s crosshairs, earlier than being struck by an air-to-air missile and bursting in flames.
“ביצעתי, המטרה נפלה, נמשיך לתקיפה”: תיעוד ראשון ממטוס ה״אדיר״ (F-35I) מפיל מטוס קרב איראני (YAK-130) מעל שמי טהרן.
חיל-האוויר ממשיך לתקוף עשרות תשתיות של משטר הטרור האיראני וסולל את הדרך ליצירת עליונות אווירית בשמי טהרן. pic.twitter.com/RGUX4x1bFK
— Israeli Air Pressure (@IAFsite) March 5, 2026
The caption of the video posted on X says “I executed, the goal was hit, we are going to proceed the assault,” translating the radio communications which could be heard at varied factors within the video. The service said as soon as once more that this occurred over Tehran and is a part of the hassle to ascertain air superiority within the space.
