The F-35I Lightning II is a fifth-generation Israeli variant named F-35I Adir or “the Mighty One.” The F-35 is an American-manufactured single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighter built by Lockheed Martin.
It is a multi-role combat aircraft designed for air superiority and strike missions with electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Russia is promoting the Su-57 as a better aircraft than the F-35. However, recent events in the Middle East, where the F-35 routed top-tier Russian anti-aircraft defenses, have put that argument to bed.
The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier variant (CV) catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) F-35C.
Meet The F-35I Adir, The Israeli Variant:
The Israelis purchased the F-35 from the United States in 2010 and wanted to install their own electronic warfare systems into the Lightning’s built-in electronic suite. However, they wanted a plug-and-play feature added to the main computer to allow for the use of Israeli electronics as add-ons and to fit its own external jamming pod.
At first, the US objected to any modifications, but in 2011, they relented, and Lockheed Martin constructed the aircraft headed to Israel, where Israeli electronic systems were installed. In addition, the US allowed Israel to mount their missiles.
And the Israeli variant maybe even better than the original design.
Some of these changes involved specific countermeasures and sensors that were particular to Israel’s needs, such as helmet-mounted displays and other data-gathering and processing capabilities. Pilots can use the platform’s electronics suite to jam enemy anti-aircraft weapons’ guidance systems and electronics.
Israel insisted on being involved in the manufacturing process, and now it produces the outer wing and the electronic sensors.
F-35I Adir In Combat:
In 2018, IAF commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin reported that the IAF became the first service to use the F-35I in combat. The IDF reported that, when Iran launched 32 rockets into Israel, the IAF counterattacked with its F-35I fleet, which destroyed anti-aircraft systems and other targets.
In 2021, Israel shot down two Iranian-launched drones, which was the first time the Aidir shot down an airborne threat.
In 2023, the IAF used F-35I Adir fighter jets to shoot down a cruise missile launched by Houthi terrorists in Yemen, the first known cruise missile intercepted by the stealth fighter. “In recent days, a cruise missile launched from the southeast toward Israeli airspace was detected by the IAF’s control and detection systems. After tracking the cruise missile’s trajectory, Adir fighter jets were scrambled and successfully intercepted the missile,” the IDF reported while posting a video of the incident on social media.
Late last year, the IAF made a massive airstrike inside of Iran, and the F-35s showed their true capabilities. Iran and Syria had formidable air defenses created by the Russians, and those were destroyed easily without any losses on the Israeli side. The F-35I went undetected.
Admiral Tony Radakin, the UK’s chief of defense staff, chief of defense staff, said, “Israel used more than 100 aircraft, carrying fewer than 100 munitions, and with no aircraft getting within 100 miles of the target in the first wave, and that took down nearly the entirety of Iran’s air-defense system.”
“It has destroyed Iran’s ability to produce ballistic missiles for a year and left Tehran with a strategic dilemma in how it responds. That is the power of fifth-generation aircraft, combined with exquisite targeting and extraordinary intelligence,” Radakin added. “And that was all delivered from a single sortie.”
The Israelis have shown that the F-35I, the American-built F-35, is more than up to its design’s task. While the costs of building them are still very high, they are gradually decreasing.
Russian-built Su-57s are touted as their equals, but that isn’t true. At best, only a few dozen are available. Currently, there are almost 1,200 F-35s worldwide. In the Middle East, Israel has shown that it can penetrate Iranian airspace undetected and take out its most sensitive military sites.
The F-35I Adir is a game-changer that will give the Israelis a decisive advantage for years or even decades to come.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
