Israeli F-35 over Tehran Shoots Down Yak-130 Combat Training Aircraft

An Israeli F-35I fighter jet flying over Tehran shot down a Russian Yak-130 combat training aircraft belonging to the Iranian Air Force.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense confirmed the downing of the Yak-130 and released a conversation between the Air Force Command and the F-35I pilot.

Earlier, footage appeared of Iranian Yak-130 and MiG-29 flights in the skies over the country. This is the first time in the world that a manned aircraft has been shot down by an F-35 fighter jet.

“This historic shoot-down in the skies over Tehran is a testament to the power of the Israeli Air Force and your personal determination. The next mission is already waiting for you,” the Air Force Commander told the F-35I pilot.

Before the war, in January, the Israeli Air Force added three F-35Is to its fleet. At that time, the total number of F-35Is in service with Israel reached 48.

Analyst The Dead District also released a video showing the probable crash of a Yak-130 aircraft.

Iran received its first Yak-130s from Russia back in 2023 to train local pilots before the delivery of Su-35 fighters, which have not yet been transferred.

Yak-130 aircraft

The Yak-130 was developed by the Russian Yakovlev Design Bureau in collaboration with the Italian Alenia Aermacchi.

The aircraft was created to replace the L-39. After leaving the project, the Italians created their own version of a combat training aircraft — the M-346.

The Yak-130s are manufactured at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant.

The Ukrainian company Motor Sich previously supplied the Russians with AI-222-25 jet engines for these aircraft. In 2015, Russia announced the complete localization of engine production at the Salyut production complex.

The Russians position the Yak-130 as an aircraft that can be used to train pilots of both 4th and 5th generation combat aircraft.