An RAF F-35 pilot based in Cyprus has become the first to destroy a target in combat, shooting down two Iranian Shahed drones over Jordan. The pilot, a squadron tactics instructor whose name has not been disclosed, used two Asraam missiles to hit the drones during a four-hour mission alongside two Typhoons.
Speaking about the operation, the pilot emphasised the high stakes involved, particularly the risk of mistakenly hitting a friendly aircraft. 'There's a lot of assets from America, from Israel that are going to and from area of operations. So I'm a little bit more concerned about identifying it first before taking any shots,' he said.
After the engagement, the priority was to reposition the aircraft to ensure no further threats were approaching. 'It's not a euphoric sense of success. I just get out the way and get back on to doing the job again,' he added.
The pilot, technically a Royal Navy pilot, was flying from RAF Akrotiri, which had been hit by a drone the previous night. Officials believe that drone was likely launched by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon towards a hangar housing US spy planes. The pilot noted that the drones he intercepted were 'very different' from the one that struck the base, suggesting a different adversary.
Returning to base in the early hours, the pilot and his colleagues celebrated with a single Keo beer, a local Cypriot brew. 'We have one beer at sunrise and then I had to go to bed because I was on duty the next day,' he said. 'When this is all over... then I'm sure we'll celebrate appropriately.'
