Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Israeli procurement

Main article: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II procurement
IAF F-35I Adir, 2023

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Israeli procurement is the result of an agreement for the government of Israel to procure the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II for the Israeli Air Force as the F-35I "Adir". The first nine F-35s became operational with the Israeli Air Force in December 2017.[1]

On 22 May 2018, Israeli Air Force commander, Major General Amikam Norkin, reported that Israel had become the first country in the world to use the F-35 in combat.[2] They were also used in the Israel–Hamas war.

In November 2020, an F-35I testbed aircraft was delivered. This was the only example of a testbed F-35 delivered to an air force outside of the United States.[3][4]

As of 13 November 2022, the Israeli Airforce had 36 F-35s in service, including the testbed stationed at the Flight Test Center at Tel Nof Airbase, and operated three squadrons at Nevatim Airbase – the 140th, 116th and 117th.[5]

  1. ^ Yiftah Shapir (12 December 2016). ""Adir" in the Sky: The F-35 Arrives in Israelaccess-date=2021-10-03". www.inss.org.il.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference haaretz22may18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference thedrive7jan21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference IsraelF35i was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Three new F-35 fighter jets land in Israel". The Jerusalem Post. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2024.