Israeli Air Force Receives Three New F-35 Fighter Jets (Photos)

Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) had received three new F-35 stealth fighter jets, the Israeli Defense Forces announced on March 16.

The jets landed at the Nevatim air base on March 13. The delivery brought the number of F-35s in service with the IAF to 42. Adding to the number, an experimental fighter jet known as AS-15 stationed at the Tel Nof air base.

The IAF operates a special version of the F-35A modified with Israeli-made systems. This version is known as the F-35I “Adir”.

Israel was the second country after the United States to receive the F-35. The country declared the F-35I operationally capable in 2017. Later in 2018, Israel became the first country to use the F-35s in combat. The fighter jets were reportedly used to attack targets in Syria.

It’s worth noting that at least two F-35s of the IAF were reportedly damaged, allegedly by “bird strikes,” in 2017 and later in 2021.

Since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip in 2023, Israel’s F-35s have reportedly logged more than 15,000 operational flight hours while participating in thousands of combat missions across multiple fronts.

The IAF’s three new F-35s are part of Israel’s initial order of 50 F-35 jets. Another 25 were ordered from the American manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, last year.

The delivery came amid rising tension with Iran, whose navy is currently conducting joint drills with the naval forces of Russia and China in the northern Indian Ocean. The IAF’s fleet of F-35s is thought to be a cornerstone in Israeli plans to attack the Iranian nuclear program.

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