# @thevigilantheroes on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DVe-b1hFMV_
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66793440-thevigilantheroes-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/2617653bed.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-05T01:16:45.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vigilant Heroes (@thevigilantheroes) — https://gondola.cc/thevigilantheroes

## Caption

So ‘unconfirmed’ is truly the word as conflicting reports about a possible U.S. F-35 shootdown over Iran is now being overshadowed by an official claim from the Israel Defense Forces: an Israeli Air Force F-35I “Adir” has now reportedly scored the first confirmed fighter-to-fighter kill in the jet’s history.
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According to the IDF, the stealth fighter downed a Russian-made/Iranian Air Force Yak-130 over Tehran during the multi-national air campaign tied to Operation Epic Fury. Grainy footage and official statements describe a close-range dogfight that ended with the twin-engine trainer/light-attack jet destroyed (could be a ‘gun-kill’??) While primarily known as a trainer, the Yak-130 can carry bombs, rockets, and short-range air-to-air missiles, making it a credible threat to drones & low-flying aircraft....but you have to imagine it’s virtually no threat to F-35s (or almost any other front-line fighter)
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The engagement could mark several milestones: the first confirmed F-35 air-to-air kill anywhere, and the Israeli Air Force’s first shootdown of a crewed enemy jet in nearly 40 years—since F-15s downed Syrian MiG-23s in 1985. 
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Also of note: Royal Air Force F-35Bs logged their own first operational kill, intercepting an Iranian drone over Jordan....5th-gen fighters are clearly getting a workout this week.  With earlier U.S. reports still unconfirmed and multiple air forces now notching firsts—the F-35’s long-anticipated combat record is taking shape in real time....We’ll keep you updated: thevigilantheroes
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#F35 #Iran #avgeek #Military #futurewar

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## Tags

f35, military, futurewar, avgeek, iran

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