Key Points: Israel operates a unique variant of the F-35A, the F-35I “Adir,” specifically tailored with Israeli technology.
-With unprecedented US approval, modifications include indigenous electronic warfare (EW) systems optimized for regional threats and a “plug-and-play” main computer allowing integration of Israeli weapons.
-This customization proved effective during Operation Days of Repentance in October 2024, where the Adir’s stealth capabilities enabled successful strikes against key military targets within heavily defended Iranian airspace.
-The F-35I’s combat performance highlights the value of both the advanced F-35 platform and Israel’s specific technological enhancements.
Nothing Can Stop the F-35I Adir
The F-35I “Adir” is a unique variant of the F-35 Lightning II, tailored specifically for the Israeli Air Force.
While the standard F-35A offers advanced stealth and combat capabilities, Israel’s F-35I incorporates several crucial modifications that allow for better interfacing with Israeli weapon systems and electronics and offer better integration with its equipment.
One of the primary differentiators of the F-35I is its integration of Israeli-developed electronic warfare systems.
These systems include specialized sensors and countermeasures designed to enhance the aircraft’s survivability.
The F-35I’s main computer also features a plug-and-play function, allowing for the integration of Israeli-made weapons and systems. This digital architecture change allows the Israeli Air Force better compatibility with their air-to-air missiles and other weaponry.
All F-35s are equipped with the AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare countermeasure system.
The AN/ASQ-239 is “a next-generation electronic warfare suite providing offensive and defensive options for the pilot and aircraft to counter current and emerging threats. Its advanced technology optimizes situational awareness while helping to identify, monitor, analyze, and respond to threats,” BAE Systems, the firm behind the system, explains.
“Advanced avionics and sensors provide a real-time, 360º view of the battlespace, maximizing detection ranges and giving pilots evasion, engagement, countermeasure, and jamming options.”
Israel has been given the go-ahead to modify BAE System’s electronic warfare suite with a unique alternative, tailor-made to Israeli specifications.
U.S. Approval for Israeli Modifications
The Israeli jets are based on the F-35A, the conventional take-off and landing variant of the F-35.
Although the Israeli Air Force’s fleet currently numbers just 38 aircraft, that will balloon upwards thanks to the 36 additional aircraft that are on order thanks to an extra 25 fighters Israel secured last year.
Israel also manufactures its own sets of wings for the F-35I, given their slightly different component requirements, at home in Israel.
Israel was also the first country to use the platform in combat, providing practical battlefield lessons for not just the United States but also the other countries that operate the stealth fighter.
The United States’ decision to allow Israel to modify their F-35s was unprecedented. Still, it was prompted in large part by the security landscape of the Middle East and Israel’s place within a region that has historically been hostile.
Role of the F-35I in October 2024 Strikes on Iran
On October 26, 2024, Israel launched Operation Days of Repentance, conducting three waves of strikes against 20 locations in Iran, Iraq, and Syria, marking the largest Israeli attack on Iran since the Iran-Iraq War.
It was in response to a massive Iranian attack involving 180 missiles against Israel — and the F-35I Adir played a pivotal role in these strikes, leveraging its stealth capabilities to penetrate Iranian airspace undetected.
The jets targeted several important Iranian military sites, including air-defense batteries, a UAV factory, and missile production facilities, though oil and gas infrastructure remained relatively untouched.
This mission highlighted how effective the F-35 family’s stealth capabilities are, even in presumably highly protected aerial environments, protected by advanced Russian air defense systems.
Though the cat-and-mouse game of stealth versus air defense capabilities continues, for now at least, the available evidence seems to indicate that Israel’s F-35Is — and, by association, American and allied stealth aircraft — maintain a qualitative edge even against advanced, concerted air defense systems.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle
