Israel's F-35 Adir Has Put Iran and Its Proxies on the Back Foot
Israel’s fleet of F-35I fighters continues to prove that the mighty fifth-generation platform is nearly unstoppable. Since Hamas launched its October 7, 2023, massacre against the Jewish state, the Israeli Air Force has been able to decimate the Gaza-based terror group in addition to crippling Iran’s Lebanon-based proxy affiliate Hezbollah. Perhaps in its most daring pursuit yet, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) successfully wiped out many of Tehran’s Russian-designed S-300 air defense systems in a retaliatory strike late last year. Israel’s ability to target assets within Iranian territory is a testament to its long-range capabilities. With the F-35I “Adir” in tow, the IAF can better secure its borders from the Islamic Republic.
An overview of the Adir
Israel became the first nation outside of the Joint Strike Fighter’s nine-nation co-development group to purchase the platform back in 2010. While the F-35’s cutting-edge abilities were already well respected at the time, Israel acquired a specialized variant that is arguably even more formidable. Nicknamed the “Mighty One,” the Adir uniquely incorporates Israeli-designed technologies. From homegrown countermeasures and sensors to helmet-mounted displays and other data-gathering and processing functions, the Israeli variant is truly top-notch.
Specs and capabilities
Unlike other F-35s, the Adir can be externally modified by the Israeli Air Force, which can also access the platform’s advanced digital architecture, including its communication systems, electronic warfare and surveillance suite, and mission control hardware. Since Israel is often threatened by Iranian-backed proxy groups in the region, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, fielding a specially modified F-35 variant was essential for securing its borders.
In terms of armaments, Israel’s F-35 fleet is packed to the brim. Each jet features the AIM9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, making it exceptionally lethal. Last year, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that it had used its F-35 contingent to destroy a cruise missile which would ultimately become the platform’s first-ever recorded missile intercept. Back in 2021, Israel’s Adir fleet also became the first to score a recorded kill when one of these fighters took down a pair of Iranian-launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As detailed by the IDF, “The [March 2021] UAVs were identified as the Iranian ‘Shahad 197′ on the way to transfer munition to the Hamas terrorist organization. According to the UAVs’ flight paths, we estimate that the intended destinations for the munition transfer were Hamas terrorist operatives situated in Judea and Samaria and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.”
When Iran carried out its first direct bombardment of missiles and drones toward Israel in April, the IAF deployed its Adir fleet to help thwart the attack. Israel’s F-35s have played an equally significant role in the IDF’s offensive and defensive operations targeting Hezbollah and the Yemen-based Houthis. More recently, Adirs were deployed to Syria’s Tartous region last month following the collapse of the Assad regime in Damascus. According to the IDF, chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, and other military targets were struck during this bombardment. As geopolitical tensions across the region continue to bubble, the Adirs will undoubtedly continue to play a leading role in Israel’s security strategy.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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