Israel Takes Delivery of Three New F-35I Fighter Jets

Three new F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jets landed Sunday at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, the IDF announced, marking another step in the expansion of the Israeli Air Force’s most advanced operational platform. The aircraft will be absorbed into two frontline squadrons and immediately integrated into ongoing Air Force activity.

The F-35I sits at the core of Israel’s ability to operate at long range and in heavily defended environments. Unlike earlier generations of fighter jets, the Adir is designed not only to strike targets but also to gather, process, and distribute intelligence in real time, giving Israeli forces a clearer picture of the battlefield from the opening moments of a campaign.

Israel’s F-35I fleet is the result of a 2017 agreement with the United States for a total of 75 aircraft. With this delivery, 50 of those jets have now arrived in Israel. The Air Force continues preparations toward completing three full Adir squadrons, a process that includes pilot training, maintenance integration, and operational testing alongside active missions.

Since the outbreak of the Iron Swords war, the IDF says the Adir array has been operating continuously across a wide range of defensive and offensive missions in multiple combat arenas. According to the military, the addition of the new aircraft further strengthens the Air Force’s operational flexibility and its ability to sustain high-tempo activity over time.

Operationally, the F-35I gives the Air Force a major advantage. Its stealth design makes it difficult for enemy radar to detect, allowing it to operate in areas where other aircraft would be vulnerable. Its advanced sensors can locate targets, expose air-defense systems, and share real-time intelligence across the strike network, enabling a single aircraft to support multiple air and ground forces. The trade-off is that when flying in full stealth mode, the jet carries a smaller weapons load, requiring more precise mission planning.

The timing of the delivery comes as concern continues in Israel over Iran’s military threat. Israeli defense officials routinely point to the F-35’s relevance in the early stages of a potential conflict against an enemy with dense air-defense systems, though the IDF has framed the arrival strictly in terms of preparedness and capability building rather than any specific operational scenario.

Internationally, the F-35 is operated by several U.S. allies, including Britain, Italy, and Japan. During the presidency of Donald Trump, Washington approved the sale of the aircraft to Saudi Arabia, a move that has drawn attention in Israel because of the importance Jerusalem places on maintaining its qualitative military edge.