Jet-engine (top) and propeller (bottom) variants of Iran‘s flying-wing UAV on launch vehicles at an airbase on Qeshm island during an exercise in 2019. While Iranian sources have identified these as the Shahed-191 and Shahed-181 respectively, the IDF says it intercepted a previously unknown type with a similar wingspan, called the Shahed-197. (IMA Media)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it intercepted a year ago as a previously unknown Iranian type called the Shahed-197.

In a briefing on 7 March, senior military sources said the two UAVs approached Israeli airspace from the south and east in a previously unreported incident on 15 March 2021, without saying where they were launched from.

The Israeli Air Force also released a statement saying four F-35I Adir fifth-generation fighters were scrambled (two from 116Squadron and two from 140 Squadron), with one pair crossing into a neighbouring country to identify and then shoot down the UAVs, making this the first time anF-35has shot down a hostile aircraft.

Jet-engine (top) and propeller (bottom) variants of Iran‘s flying-wing UAV on launch vehicles at an airbase on Qeshm island during an exercise in 2019. While Iranian sources have identified these as the Shahed-191 and Shahed-181 respectively, the IDF says it intercepted a previously unknown type with a similar wingspan, called the Shahed-197. (IMA Media)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it intercepted a year ago as a previously unknown Iranian type called the Shahed-197.

In a briefing on 7 March, senior military sources said the two UAVs approached Israeli airspace from the south and east in a previously unreported incident on 15 March 2021, without saying where they were launched from.

The Israeli Air Force also released a statement saying four F-35I Adir fifth-generation fighters were scrambled (two from 116Squadron and two from 140 Squadron), with one pair crossing into a neighbouring country to identify and then shoot down the UAVs, making this the first time anF-35has shot down a hostile aircraft.

Jet-engine (top) and propeller (bottom) variants of Iran‘s flying-wing UAV on launch vehicles at an airbase on Qeshm island during an exercise in 2019. While Iranian sources have identified these as the Shahed-191 and Shahed-181 respectively, the IDF says it intercepted a previously unknown type with a similar wingspan, called the Shahed-197. (IMA Media)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it intercepted a year ago as a previously unknown Iranian type called the Shahed-197.

In a briefing on 7 March, senior military sources said the two UAVs approached Israeli airspace from the south and east in a previously unreported incident on 15 March 2021, without saying where they were launched from.

The Israeli Air Force also released a statement saying four F-35I Adir fifth-generation fighters were scrambled (two from 116Squadron and two from 140 Squadron), with one pair crossing into a neighbouring country to identify and then shoot down the UAVs, making this the first time anF-35has shot down a hostile aircraft.

Jet-engine (top) and propeller (bottom) variants of Iran‘s flying-wing UAV on launch vehicles at an airbase on Qeshm island during an exercise in 2019. While Iranian sources have identified these as the Shahed-191 and Shahed-181 respectively, the IDF says it intercepted a previously unknown type with a similar wingspan, called the Shahed-197. (IMA Media)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it intercepted a year ago as a previously unknown Iranian type called the Shahed-197.

In a briefing on 7 March, senior military sources said the two UAVs approached Israeli airspace from the south and east in a previously unreported incident on 15 March 2021, without saying where they were launched from.

The Israeli Air Force also released a statement saying four F-35I Adir fifth-generation fighters were scrambled (two from 116Squadron and two from 140 Squadron), with one pair crossing into a neighbouring country to identify and then shoot down the UAVs, making this the first time anF-35has shot down a hostile aircraft.

Jet-engine (top) and propeller (bottom) variants of Iran‘s flying-wing UAV on launch vehicles at an airbase on Qeshm island during an exercise in 2019. While Iranian sources have identified these as the Shahed-191 and Shahed-181 respectively, the IDF says it intercepted a previously unknown type with a similar wingspan, called the Shahed-197. (IMA Media)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it intercepted a year ago as a previously unknown Iranian type called the Shahed-197.

In a briefing on 7 March, senior military sources said the two UAVs approached Israeli airspace from the south and east in a previously unreported incident on 15 March 2021, without saying where they were launched from.

The Israeli Air Force also released a statement saying four F-35I Adir fifth-generation fighters were scrambled (two from 116Squadron and two from 140 Squadron), with one pair crossing into a neighbouring country to identify and then shoot down the UAVs, making this the first time anF-35has shot down a hostile aircraft.

Jet-engine (top) and propeller (bottom) variants of Iran‘s flying-wing UAV on launch vehicles at an airbase on Qeshm island during an exercise in 2019. While Iranian sources have identified these as the Shahed-191 and Shahed-181 respectively, the IDF says it intercepted a previously unknown type with a similar wingspan, called the Shahed-197. (IMA Media)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have identified two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that it intercepted a year ago as a previously unknown Iranian type called the Shahed-197.

In a briefing on 7 March, senior military sources said the two UAVs approached Israeli airspace from the south and east in a previously unreported incident on 15 March 2021, without saying where they were launched from.

The Israeli Air Force also released a statement saying four F-35I Adir fifth-generation fighters were scrambled (two from 116Squadron and two from 140 Squadron), with one pair crossing into a neighbouring country to identify and then shoot down the UAVs, making this the first time anF-35has shot down a hostile aircraft.