Yadollah Javadpour

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.

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. 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 Northrop F-5. He claimed 5 air victories, which makes him an ace, but only two have been definitively confirmed by western sources. 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 one of the most successful F-5 fighter pilots ever.