IDF shot down armed aircraft en route from Iran to Israel

By World Israel News Staff

In recent months, Israel has thwarted attempts to launch armed aircraft and drones from Iran, an IDF spokesman revealed Sunday evening, Channel 12 reported.

This was the first time, not only in Israel but also in the world, that F35 planes shot down two enemy aircraft in an air-to-air missile, the report said.

The IDF activity was carried out far from the border and did not threaten civilians or facilities, the spokesman said.

The F35 has a radar that can detect both small and slow targets – like the drones – as well as air-to-air missiles that can hit and intercept them, despite their size.

“UAV interceptions were carried out in the area’s skies in coordination with neighboring countries, thus preventing intrusion into Israel,” the spokesman said. “The UAVs were monitoring the control and detection systems throughout their flight.”

Israel has begun establishing a regional air defense program in cooperation with a number of countries in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf to detect and intercept unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles, with one country able to assist the defense of another, the report continued.

Israel is using various intelligence devices in an attempt to detect these launch attempts in advance. It has also upgraded the Iron Dome system so that it can cope better.

A series of experiments has also been completed to deal with the drones and cruise missiles deployed by Iran in the region.