- Side
- Israel
Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin said in May 2018 that Israel had already used F-35 aircraft operationally in attacks, a disclosure made in the context of Israeli air operations against Iranian targets in Syria.
Role detailsAircraft & UAVs
F-35I Adir
Also known as
- F-35I
- Adir
- F-35 Adir
- Israeli F-35
- F-35I Lightning II
The F-35I Adir is Israel's locally designated F-35 Lightning II variant, a single-seat stealth multirole fighter operated from Nevatim Air Base and adapted for Israeli Air Force command, sustainment, and weapons-integration needs. Israeli F-35I aircraft have directly documented combat use in Syria, Gaza-war air defense, Lebanon-related Hezbollah operations, and the Israel-Iran conflict, including an official 2026 IDF account of an Adir shooting down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Israel
The IDF said F-35I Adir fighters were scrambled after a cruise missile was detected approaching Israeli airspace in late 2023 and successfully intercepted it during the wider post-October 7 war.
Role details- Side
- Israel
During the August 2024 Israeli operation described as preventing a large-scale Hezbollah attack, the IDF published strike materials that included footage of F-35I Adir jets refueling in Lebanese skies.
- Side
- Israel
In March 2026, the IDF said F-35I Adir aircraft struck Iranian missile-launch infrastructure and that an Israeli F-35I shot down an Iranian Yak-130 fighter jet over Tehran.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States / Israel
- Built by
- Lockheed Martin
- Built in
- United States
- Type
- Israeli F-35A-derived stealth multirole fighter
- Service note
- 2010s-present
- Designer
- Lockheed Martin, with Israeli Air Force integration and Israeli-specific mission-system adaptation
- Designed
- Israeli FMS selection in 2010; first Israeli Adir rolled out and delivered for Israel in 2016
- Produced
- 2010s-present
Specifications
- Crew
- 1
- Configuration
- F-35A-derived conventional takeoff and landing stealth multirole fighter
- Powerplant
- One Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan engine
- Thrust
- 43,000 lb class
- Length
- 51 ft / 15.7 m
- Wingspan
- 35 ft / 10.7 m
- Height
- 14 ft / 4.38 m
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 70,000 lb class
- Payload
- 18,000 lb class internal and external weapons load
- Speed
- Mach 1.6, about 1,200 mph
- Range
- More than 1,350 miles with internal fuel for the F-35A baseline
- Ceiling
- Above 50,000 ft
- Sensors
- Integrated radar, Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System, Electro-Optical Targeting System, helmet-mounted display, and tactical data links
Israeli Configuration
The Adir is best read as an Israeli service configuration of the F-35A branch rather than a separate airframe family. Public program sources identify Israel as the first F-35 Foreign Military Sales customer, with the fleet introduced at Nevatim and declared operational in December 2017.
Operator focus
Israeli Air Force squadrons at Nevatim Air Base.
Design emphasis
Stealth, sensor fusion, networked targeting, and Israeli-specific integration around the F-35A-style aircraft.
Evidence limit
Public sources document Adir operations, but many exact Israeli mission loads and software details remain undisclosed.
Variants
The F-35I is Israel's Adir configuration within the F-35A conventional-takeoff branch of the Lightning II family.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Parent aircraft family | The Israeli Adir sits within the F-35 Lightning II family and is closest to the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A branch rather than the STOVL F-35B or carrier F-35C branches. Sources: F-35A Lightning II Fact Sheet |
 | STOVL family branch | The F-35B is a separate short-takeoff/vertical-landing branch and is not the basis for the Israeli Adir configuration. Sources: About the F-35 |
 | Carrier family branch | The F-35C is a separate carrier variant with naval launch and recovery features, distinct from the land-based Israeli Adir. Sources: About the F-35 |
Air-To-Air Missiles
Public reporting on the Adir cruise-missile intercept notes the Israeli F-35I is armed with short- and medium-range U.S. air-to-air missile families.
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Short-range air-to-air missile | Breaking Defense noted the F-35I's AIM-9X armament while reporting the IDF's 2023 Adir cruise-missile intercept. |
 | Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile | Breaking Defense noted the F-35I's AMRAAM armament while reporting the IDF's 2023 Adir cruise-missile intercept. |
Guided Bomb Compatibility
General F-35A load data supports JDAM-class internal and external carriage, but public sources do not identify the exact Adir munition used in every Israeli strike.
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | GPS-guided bomb | The F-35A fact sheet lists internal and external armament capability and an 18,000-pound payload class; the F-35 program page describes internal weapons as part of the aircraft's low-observable design. Sources: F-35A Lightning II Fact Sheet, About the F-35 |
Timeline
F-35I Adir Key Events
Israel selects the F-35 through FMS
Lockheed Martin's F-35 program page identifies Israel as the first country to select the F-35 through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process.
Sources: F-35 Global Enterprise: Israel
First Israeli Adir rolled out
Lockheed Martin and Israel marked the rollout of Israel's first F-35 Adir, with the aircraft presented as a key addition to Israel's qualitative military edge.
Sources: Israel's First F-35 Adir Rollout
Israeli fleet declared operational
The F-35 program's Israel page says the Israeli Air Force declared its F-35 fleet operationally capable in December 2017 after integration and training at Nevatim Air Base.
Sources: F-35 Global Enterprise: Israel
Israel discloses F-35 operational attacks
Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin said Israel had already conducted operational attacks with the F-35, making the type's first publicly reported combat use.
Sources: Israel First F-35 Strikes
Adir cruise-missile intercept reported
Breaking Defense reported the IDF statement that F-35I Adir fighters intercepted a cruise missile approaching Israeli airspace.
Sources: Israel Uses F-35I to Shoot Down Cruise Missile
Yak-130 shot down over Tehran
The IDF said an Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran during the Iran-Israel war.
Sources: F-35I Strikes Down Iranian Fighter Jet, March 4, 2026 Iran-Israel War Updates
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
F-35 Global Enterprise: IsraelPublisher: Lockheed Martin F-35 | Note: Supports Israeli F-35 Adir naming, FMS selection, first aircraft receipt, Nevatim integration, and December 2017 operational-capability milestone. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Israel's First F-35 Adir RolloutPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Supports Adir rollout, name meaning, manufacturer background, stealth/sensor-fusion description, and Israeli service context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02About the F-35Publisher: Lockheed Martin F-35 | Note: Supports F-35 family background, stealth design context, internal weapons/fuel notes, global operators, and variant-family context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-35A Lightning II Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports F-35A baseline role, CTOL configuration, dimensions, powerplant, payload, speed, range, ceiling, sensors, and prime contractor. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Israel First F-35 StrikesPublisher: The Times of Israel | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct conflict use: Israeli Air Force commander Amikam Norkin disclosed operational F-35 attacks in the context of Israeli action against Iranian targets in Syria. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Israel Uses F-35I to Shoot Down Cruise MissilePublisher: Breaking Defense | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict use: the IDF said F-35I Adir jets were scrambled and intercepted a cruise missile approaching Israeli airspace during the post-October 7 war period. | Accessed: 2026-07-02The IAF Acts to Protect Israeli CiviliansPublisher: Israel Defense Forces | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct conflict use: the IDF published materials from strikes in Lebanon including footage of F-35I Adir jets refueling in Lebanese skies. | Accessed: 2026-07-02March 4, 2026 Iran-Israel War UpdatesPublisher: Israel Defense Forces | Note: Supports 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict direct conflict use: the IDF said an Adir struck a loaded missile launcher in western Iran and that an F-35I shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-35I Strikes Down Iranian Fighter JetPublisher: Israel Defense Forces | Note: Supports 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict direct conflict use: the IDF account describes an Israeli Air Force Adir (F-35I) shooting down an Iranian Yak-130 in an aerial engagement over Iran. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-35I-Adir-0296.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: CC BY-SA 4.0 image of an Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAF-F-35I-2016-12-13 (cropped).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Wikimedia Commons image of early Israeli Adir flight activity used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-02230316-F-WM701-1008 - F-35I Adir at Red Flag.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain U.S. Air Force image of Israeli F-35I Adirs at Red Flag-Nellis 23-2 used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-02