Jerusalem, Apr 26 (UNI) The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Friday that its Air Force had received three new F-35i stealth fighter jets.

According to an IDF statement, the three jets landed Thursday evening at Nevatim Airbase in the Negev Desert, southern Israel.

Also named "Adir", meaning "mighty" in Hebrew, the F-35i is a modified variant of the F-35 Lightning II, manufactured by the U.S.-headquartered Lockheed Martin Corporation.

The new jets have joined the Air Force's 140 Squadron, known as Golden Eagle, which is Israel's first F-35i unit, established in 2016 with the arrival of the first two jets.

Israel was the first country to purchase the F-35 as part of a foreign military sale with the United States in October 2010.

According to the IDF statement, since the start of its multi-front conflicts in the region, the Adir formation has been operating at "an unprecedented operational load", participating in both defensive and offensive missions.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the Israeli Air Force now fields 45 F-35i jets out of the 75 included in procurement agreements with the U.S. government.

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