Seeking to strengthen its aerial superiority, Israeli Air Force receives 3 new F-35 fighter jets

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) received last week three additional F-35 fighter jets, which will join the air force’s "Lions of the South” 116th squadron based in the Nevatim air base in southern Israel.

The arrival of the new fifth generation fighter jets means that Israel’s growing F-35 fleet has expanded to 42 out of 50 in the original order. The new fighter jets are expected to further boost the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority against any foes in the combustible Middle East region. 

The F-35I, which is known in Israel as “Adir” (meaning “mighty one” in Hebrew) is specifically developed for the needs of the IAF.

"The Adir was originally designed to carry munitions in an internal weapons bay. During the war, a new capability was integrated at the Flight Test Center in collaboration with Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Program at the Pentagon, enabling the external carriage of JDAM munitions on the aircraft’s wings," the Israeli military said in an official statement.

"The Israeli Adir is the only F-35 in the world to have conducted operational strikes with an external weapons configuration, significantly increasing its strike capacity," they added. 

The F-35 fighter jets have played a central role in the Israeli Air Force’s military operations in the ongoing war against Iran and its terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

The IAF Lions of the South squadron has been very busy and has reportedly already clocked some 15,000 flight hours since the start of the war, which began with the Hamas Oct. 7 invasion and massacre of 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping of 251 people from southern Israeli border communities. The Israeli F-35 fighter jets have played key roles in eliminating senior Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist leaders in Gaza and Lebanon.  

The IAF is widely considered one of the most capable and most experienced air forces in the world. 

It was reported last March that Iran’s multi-front war against Israel had elevated IAF pilots to the highest operational status in the entire world. 

Major R, an Israeli pilot in the 140th Squadron, recalled when the Israeli Air Force made history by becoming the first air force to intercept an enemy ballistic missile with the stealth F-35 fighter jet. 

“I saw the cruise missile in broad daylight through the Adir's camera, at a relatively low altitude,” he recalled. “My partner in the cockpit was the one who spotted the target. I executed the airstrike with a missile I launched at it. I was thrilled in the cockpit after the successful hit,” the Israeli pilot continued. 

Major R. also revealed that the Israeli Air Force has gained valuable experience and developed additional capabilities amid the war. 

“We are evolving during combat. We have already updated our operational techniques and combat rotations, even against the possibility of cruise missile launches like these or simultaneous ballistic missile attacks,” he assessed. 

The Israeli pilot emphasized that the margins are often tiny due to Israel’s miniscule size. 

“The cruise missile could have easily exploded on the Yoseftal Medical Center or a hotel where refugees from the south were housed,” Major R. explained.

“In such missions, I could find myself flying directly from the Eilat area to strike Gaza, then to the Lebanon and Syria regions, and if necessary, to other areas within that long flight lasting six and a half hours on the Adir,” he added.

In July 2023, Israel decided to eventually expand its growing F-35 fighter jet fleet to 75 planes, which will be delivered in the coming years.