| Yadollah Javadpour | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Iran |
| Service/branch | Iranian Air Force |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | Iran-Iraq War |
Major Yadollah Javadpour was a fighter pilot in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, serving for the full duration of the Iran-Iraq War. His record qualifies him as an ace and one of the most successful pilots of that conflict.[1]
He began his service as an elite pilot in the IIAF, and was a member of the Iranian Air Force flying team, the Golden Crown, from 1975 to 1978.[2] He continued to serve with the IRIAF after the revolution, this being a time when it was dangerous for pilots to do so.
Javadpour's fame came while flying the F-5 Freedom Fighter. He claimed 5 air victories, which makes him an ace, but only two have been definitively confirmed by western sources.[3][4] His greatest fame came on August 6, 1983 when he claimed (later to be reliably confirmed) to have shot down an Iraqi MiG-25. This was a significant achievement for an F-5 pilot as the MiG-25 is a much bigger and faster aircraft with a substantial altitude advantage. His other confirmed kill was an Su-20 on October 17, 1980.
These results make Javadpour the most successful F-5 fighter pilot ever.[1]