PUBLISHED on August 7, 2025, 11:09 AM EST – Key Points and Summary – While Israel’s F-35I “Adir” has a top speed of Mach 1.6, its true dominance comes from combining that speed with superior stealth and sensors.
-In modern warfare, stealth beats raw speed, a fact proven during recent conflicts where the F-35I successfully penetrated and destroyed Iran’s layered air defense systems—including Russian S-300s—without a single loss. During “Operation Rising Lion,” Israeli Adirs reportedly flew over Tehran in daylight.
-This combat success serves as a powerful testament to the F-35 platform’s overwhelming effectiveness and adaptability.
The F-35I Adir Fighter: The Star of the Israel-Iran War
Israel took the US-made F-35 and made it into a perfect weapon for combat use in the Middle East. Israel heavily modified the F-35I Adir to suit its needs. And it has been highly successful.
While the media still has its large segment of F-35 haters, Israel has done something no one else has been able to do. Infiltrate Iranian airspace and destroy Iran’s air defense systems.
The F-35’s design emphasizes stealth, sensor fusion, and situational awareness over raw speed. It’s designed to be an “ambush predator,” leveraging its stealth to get close and engage targets before they are even detected. This makes its speed, when combined with its other capabilities, a powerful asset.
While the F-35I may not primarily be designed for maximum speed above all else, it’s still a fast and capable aircraft where speed contributes to its effectiveness in conjunction with its stealth, sensor systems, and overall mission profile.
How Fast Is the F-35I Adir?
The F-35I, like its American cousin, flies at Mach 1.6, about 1,200 mph. While it isn’t necessarily the fastest fighter jet, it’s fast enough when attacking enemy targets that can’t see it.
The F-35’s primary advantages lie in its advanced stealth, maneuverability, and extensive interoperability with allied air forces. The F-35I has emphasized its stealth and range, so that it can hit targets in Iran, which it has done without the loss of a single aircraft.
Some aircraft can attain higher speeds, but this requires stripping them down to carry minimal fuel and no external weapons, making them unrealistic for combat. The F-35, with its internal weapons bays, can maintain its speed while carrying a combat load.
In Today’s Air Warfare, Stealth Beats Speed
Just look at the actions of Israel’s F-35I Adir, when its radar evasion showed how successful it was in incredible airstrikes against Iran last October. The F-35I suffered no losses when attacking Iranian air defenses and other military targets.
During the airstrikes on Iran in October, Admiral Tony Radakin, the United Kingdom’s chief of defense staff, said, “Israel used more than 100 aircraft, carrying fewer than 100 munitions, and with no aircraft getting within 100 miles of the target in the first wave, and that took down nearly the entirety of Iran’s air-defense system.
“It has destroyed Iran’s ability to produce ballistic missiles for a year and left Tehran with a strategic dilemma in how it responds. That is the power of fifth-generation aircraft, combined with exquisite targeting and extraordinary intelligence,” Radakin added. “And that was all delivered from a single sortie.”
This convinced the US Air Force that the Israelis had made the baseline F-35 even better. However, the Israelis and the F-35I weren’t done when it came to Iran.
Operation Rising Lion
During Operation Rising Lion, the F-35I’s stealth capabilities were put to the test against Iran’s rebuilt layered air-defense network, which includes Russian-made S-300 systems and Iran’s domestically produced Bavar-373.
Iran claimed that it shot down several F-35s, but its “proof” consisted of poorly photoshopped images, one of which showed an F-35 the size of a B-52. Israeli Adirs wiped out the Iranian air defenses again and were flying over Tehran during daylight hours, which shows just how complete Israel’s air dominance of Iran was.
While no one will confuse Iran’s air defenses with those of China or Russia, it was still a modern system. The F-35I’s success will give US enemies pause, primarily since there are more than 1,200 F-35s in the hands of the US and its allies.
The F-35I Adir is an Israeli-adapted variant built for operations in precisely the kind of mission profile that the Israelis have long planned for. Israel has adapted the F-35I stealth fighters—technically, tactically, and strategically perfectly for their type of warfare. And when it came time to act, they did so with speed, stealth, and chilling precision.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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