The Middle East skies have long been a key front in the region’s intricate network of alliances, rivalries, and power struggles. Over the past few years, there has been one plane that tilted the scale of that air war: Israel’s F-35I Adir. This stealth fighter is not merely another high-tech jet—it is a quantum leap in the way Israel extends air power, forestalls threats, and retains a strategic advantage over potential enemies.
The F-35I Adir is not an off-the-shelf buy. It is tailored from the American F-35A to fit its specific operational requirements. What is revolutionary is not only its stealth capability, but its melding into Israel’s doctrine of deep-strike operations and response. With its inherent ability to evade detection even by advanced air defense systems, the Adir allows Israel the liberty to strike in some of the region’s most hostile airspace.
Recent missions allegedly involving F-35Is—like clandestine attacks on Iranian targets—have highlighted just how far Israel has become accustomed to the use of this platform. These operations haven’t just caused damage; they’ve sent a message: Israel is capable of reaching its foes, no matter how well protected they are.
What distinguishes the F-35I Adir from its U.S. counterpart is the far-reaching Israeli upgrades. Israel was granted special approval by the U.S. to customize the plane’s systems—something that no other F-35 partner has done.
One of the most important upgrades is in range. Employing external fuel tanks specially designed to keep a low radar profile, the F-35I has a range of more than 2,200 kilometers—sufficient to strike deep within Iran and return without requiring mid-air refueling. That alone dramatically lowers risk in long-range operations.
Electronic warfare has also been extensively revamped. Though the initial systems were developed by BAE Systems, Israel has integrated its own EW technology, specifically from Elbit Systems, so the Adir can jam hostile radars and eliminate advanced missile threats such as the Russian S-300. This provides the jet with a significant edge when flying in hostile environments.
Due to its open architecture, Israeli pilots can add new sensors, weaponry, and specially designed software—allowing the plane to become responsive to emerging threats without waiting for U.S. updates.
This is not hypothetical capability—the F-35I has already seen action in actual missions. From detecting enemy drones to attacking infrastructure connected to Iranian interests, the plane has demonstrated its worth time and time again.
Another component of Israel’s success with the Adir is operational independence. Rather than shipping jets to the U.S. for maintenance, heavy maintenance is performed locally at Nevatim Air Base. While the per-flight-hour expense is high, the return is instant readiness and quicker turnaround between missions—a critical component in an area where things tend to heat up rapidly.
Israel might now have aerial superiority, but its dominance is not for all eternity. Egypt, a long-standing regional competitor in spite of times of collaboration, is systematically improving its air power. The procurement of French-built Rafale fighter jets, along with expressions of interest for Chinese J-10C fighter jets with extended-range PL-15 missiles, is an important advancement.
Analysts explain that the PL-15, with an effective range of up to 150 kilometers, would be a serious threat to Israeli aircraft, including as advanced as the F-35. The missiles have a longer range than Israel’s existing supply of AIM-120 AMRAAMs, giving Egyptian pilots an advantage in beyond-visual-range combat.
Egypt’s procurement policy also serves a larger geopolitical calculation: diversify the suppliers to decrease reliance on the West. This increasing independence may make Israeli planning more difficult in the case of a future confrontation.
Iran’s air force is much weaker compared to Egypt’s. Years of sanctions have seen it flying a hodgepodge of old American and Soviet machines, often held together by ad hoc fixes and illicit spare parts. Even the recent arrival of a few dozen Russian Su-35s is regarded as an incomplete upgrade at best—not sufficient to represent a credible threat to Israel’s air superiority.
As military analyst Reuben F. Johnson put it, Iran’s air force is as much a “museum exhibit” as a high-tech military power. Israeli F-35Is in any face-to-face engagement would be operating in an entirely other class of capability, with Iran’s fighters barely able to hold their own.
While Israel’s F-35I Adir currently sets the standard for air power in the region, the race is far from over. Egypt is investing in newer platforms and long-range capabilities. Meanwhile, China’s growing influence in the region—and its technological advances in aircraft and missiles—could shift the balance in unexpected ways.
Nevertheless, Israel is still a few steps ahead, courtesy of its early mainstreaming of advanced technology, its capacity for local innovation and tailoring, and its operational expertise. Whether it will be able to continue that head start will be determined by how well it can continue to foresee threats, evolve in response to new ones, and retain the technological advantage that the Adir has thus far yielded.