Israeli Security Forces - Israeli Air Force
History
Early years (1948-1957)
The IAF was formed when Israel achieved statehood in 1948 and found
itself under immediate attack. The air force was at first assembled from
a hodge-podge collection of civilian aircraft commandeered or donated
and converted to military use. A variety of obsolete and surplus
ex-World War II combat aircraft were quickly sourced by various means to
supplement this fleet. The backbone of the IAF consisted of 25 Avia
S-199 and 62 Spitfires LF Mk IXE purchased from Czechoslovakia.
During the 1950s, France became a major supplier of warplanes to Israel,
but the trust between the two countries was violated just before the Six
Day War, when France declared an arms embargo on Israel. This had a two
pronged effect: Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) significantly increased
its efforts and abilities in weapons production (initially based on the
French models) and the United States replaced France as Israel's primary
military aircraft broker, producing the majority of the IAF combat
fighters from the late 1960s till today.
The Six-Day War
During the Six-Day War, the Israeli Air Force achieved absolute air
superiority by eliminating the entire opposing Arab air forces on the
first day of fighting. On June 5, 1967, in a massive coordinated raid
employing special Durandal and conventional bombs, rockets and strafing,
the IAF destroyed the entire Egyptian air-force while most of the
Egyptian planes were still on the ground. By the end of the day the
Syrian and Jordanian air forces were wiped out as well. The IAF
shoot-down record at the end of the war was a claimed record of 451
enemy aircraft downed versus 10 downed of its own. While this operation
was taking place, only a handful of aircraft were left to guard Israeli
skies.
Also during this war, On June 8, 1967, the Israeli Air Force (and the
Navy) attacked the USS Liberty while she was in international waters, 13
miles off El Arish in the Sinai peninsula. The Israeli Government later
apologized for what they claimed was a tragic mistake and paid modest
reparations to the families of the victims.
The War of Attrition
In the War of Attrition, the IAF operated in air "dog fight" and bombing
of strategic targets deep within enemy's territory. Notable operations
were:
* September 11, 1969: IAF planes shot down 11 Egyptian jet fighters in
dogfights.
* September 26, 1969: IAF Super Frelon and CH-53 Sikorski helicopters
carry paratroopers in a raid to "hijack" and airlift back an advanced
Soviet P-12 radar deployed in Egypt near Suez. A Ch-53 Helicopter
carried the 4 ton radar back, tethered under it.
* January 7, 1970: the IAF start performing deep strikes on Egyptian
targets, in order to force them to cease artillery and commando attacks
on Israeli forces arrayed along the east side of the Suez Canal.
* July 30, 1970: the IAF shot down 5 Egyptian MiG 21 (Mikoyan-Gurevich)
fighters, flown by Soviet pilots sent by Moscow to "show the Egyptians
how to deal with the IAF".
Yom Kippur War
In the Yom Kippur War the IAF suffered heavy casualties from Soviet
anti-aircraft surface-to-air missiles but managed to regroup and assist
IDF's ground forces and later bomb infrastructure targets in Syria and
Egypt. IAF helicopters proved to be highly useful in logistics and
rescue efforts (MedEvac). During that war, the IAF lost 102 planes while
the Egyptian Air Force lost 235 and the Syrian Air Force lost 135.
Growth (1973 - 1982)
From the 1970s onwards, following the Yom Kippur War, most of Israel's
military aircraft have been obtained from the United States.
The Israeli Air Force has also operated a small number of
domestically-produced types, most famously the IAI Kfir, an unauthorised
copy of the French Dassault Mirage III adapted to utilise a more
powerful US engine.
During the 1980s and 1990s the IAF was equipped with American aircraft (
F-15, F-16, AH-1 Cobra and C130 Hercules). In 1981 8 IAF F-16 fighters
covered by 8 F-15 jets flew to Iraq and bombed the nuclear facilities of
Osiraq. Among the pilots that took part in the attack was the late Ilan
Ramon, Israel's first astronaut. This operation was named by Israel
Opera operation.
Operation Peace for Galilee
During 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee, IAF warplanes destroyed the
Syrian air defence without a single fighter lost and shot down 80 Syrian
aircraft (some claim that part of the Syrian aircraft shot down by the
IAF were piloted by Soviet pilots). IAF AH-1 Cobra helicopter gunships
have destroyed dozens of Syrian armored fighting vehicles and other
ground targets, including many T-72 main battle tanks.
After the war has ended, the AH-1 Cobra and the IAF main activity during
those years was to attack Hizbullah's and the PLO's positions in south
Lebanon.
High Tech age (1990 and beyond)
During the 1990s the IAF upgraded most of its aircraft with advanced
Israeli-made systems, improving the performances of the aircraft. In the
1990s the IAF also received the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship and
equipped its aircraft with the Rafael Python 4, Popeye and Darby
advanced Israeli missiles.
In the new millennium, the IAF bought the F-15i and the F-16i Sufa, two
of the most advanced variants of the F-15 and F-16 fighter jets,
manufactured specially for Israel according to the IAF requirements. The
IAF has purchased 102 Sufa F-16I warplanes, the first planes arrived at
the April, 2004. The IAF also purchased the advanced Israeli air-to-air
missile Rafael Python 5, with full-sphere capability, considered among
the best in its field.
During the al-Aqsa intifada, the IAF was largely employed in targeted
killings of militant leaders, most notably Salah Shakhade, Mahmoud
Abu-Hunud, Abu Ali Mustafa, Ahmed Yassin and Abed al-Aziz Rantissi. This
policy is very controversial - mainly due to the collateral damage
caused, but Israel claims it is vital to fight terrorism and that IAF
pilots do whatever they can to avoid civilian casualties - including
aborting strikes. This view is the prevalent one in Israel, with some
exceptions.
In 2003, 27 Air Force Pilots composed a letter of protest to the Air
Force Commander, announcing their refusal to continue and perform
attacks on targets within Palestinian population centers, and claiming
that the occupation of the Palestinians "morally corrupts the fabric of
Israeli society". This letter, the first of its kind emanating from the
Air Force, evoked a storm of political protest in Israel, with most
circles condemning it as dereliction of duty. IDF ethics forbid soldiers
from making public political affiliations, and subsequently the IAF
commander, Dan Halutz, announced that all signatories were to be
suspended from flight duty, after which some of the pilots repented and
removed their signature.
After a landmark 1994 High Court appeal by Alice Miller, a Jewish
immigrant from South Africa, the Air Force was instructed to open its
pilots course to women. Miller failed the entrance exams, and the first
female fighter pilot successfully received her wings in 2001 (several
female navigators graduated before her).
Markings
The insignia of the Israeli Air Force is a blue Star of David on a white
circle. This is usually painted in six positions - on the top and bottom
of each wing, and each side of the fuselage. Squadron markings are
usually carried on the tail fin.
Records and highlights
The Israeli Air Force is considered the strongest air force in the
Middle East, and one of the best and most sophisticated in the world.
Many of its electronics and weapons systems are developed and built in
Israel by Israeli Military Industries and Israeli Aircraft Industries.
However, the greatest strength of the IAF is the skill of its pilots.
Israeli combat pilots are considered the best in the world, and hold a
large number of shoot-down records. It is rumored that American pilots
receive training from their Israeli counterparts as part of their
training curriculum.
The following is a report that reveals some of the skills of the IAF
pilots:
Sep. 22, 2003 | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
"Israeli air force pilots handily beat their German counterparts in
"dogfights" in the first ever air force exercise between the two
countries, an Israeli military official said Monday.
The Israeli F-15 pilots, aided by special technology that Israel does
not share or sell to other countries, beat the Germans by more than 100
"hits," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the
past, Israel has beaten American air force pilots by similar margins,
the officials added.
Israel purchases U.S. warplanes without battle technology, installing
its own locally made systems into the aircraft.
The exercise was conducted over the past two weeks in the skies of
Sardinia in Italy."
According to the IAF website:
687 enemy airplanes have been shot down in dogfights since Israel`s
birth. Only 23 Israeli planes have been shot down by enemy planes since
1948 - a statistic which puts the dogfight victory ratio between Israel
and its Arab neighbors at a whopping 30:1.
The IAF is holding world records at the amounts of enemy's warplanes
shoot-downs, air combats, special operations, and air to ground
operations at the jet era.
Some of the records and highlight moments are as follows:
* June 5, 1967 - the Six Day War: The destruction of the entire Egyptian
air-force within 3 hours. By the end of the day the Syrian and Jordanian
air forces were wiped out as well. The IAF shoot-down total at the end
of the war was a claimed record of 451 enemy aircraft downed versus of
its own 10 downed. See: Operation Red Sheet.
* March, 1969 until August, 1970- the War of Attrition: 111 enemy
warplanes were shot-down in dogfights by IAF pilots while only 4 IAF
warplanes were shot down in dogfights by enemy pilots.
* Also, during the Cold-War the Soviet Union held close relationships
with the Arab nations - On July 30, 1970 the tension peaked: A large
scale air brawl between IAF planes and MiGs flown by Soviet pilots
occurred- 5 MiGs flown by Soviet pilots were shot down, while the IAF
suffered no losses.
* October 9, 1973- the Yom Kippur War: The destruction of the Syrian
General Staff in Damascus: On October 9th 1973, two F-4 Phantom quartets
attacked and destroyed the Syrian General Staff Headquarters in the
heart of Damascus. The Syrian Air Force Headquarters were damaged as
well.
* Also, during the Yom Kippur War, the IAF shot-downed 277 enemy
warplanes- accounting for over a third of the IAF`s total kills since
1948.
* Obtaining the first shoot-downs for the American fighter jets, the
F-15 and the F-16. [1]
* June 7, 1981: The destruction of the Iraqi Osiraq nuclear reactor.
Eight IAF F-16 fighters flew to Iraq and bombed the nuclear facilties of
Osiraq. Among the pilots that took part in the attack was the late Ilan
Ramon, Israel's first astronaut.
* June 8, 1982 - Operation Peace for Galilee: The destruction of the
entire Soviet-Syrian air-defence system in Lebanon within few hours
without a single warplane lost; Syria with the U.S.S.R built up an
overlapping network of surface-to-air missiles, and the density of SAM
site locations was unmatched anywhere in the world including the
U.S.S.R. itself. Also the IAF achieved in dogfights a total of 80 Syrian
planes shoot-downs, without a single Israeli plane being shot down.
* October 1, 1985 - Operation Wooden Leg: The bombing of PLO
Headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia, the longest combat mission ever
undertaken by the IAF: 2300 kilometers, involving in flight refueling by
an IAF Boeing 707.
* The only documented successful emergency landing of an F-15 with one
wing, the other torn off after an airborne collision with an A-4
Skyhawk. The Skyhawk exploded and its pilot ejected. Mcdonnell-Douglas,
the F-15 Manufacturer, refused to believe it was possible until photos
of the incident were shown. The F-15 was restored to flight status.
* "Ace" pilots: 39 IAF pilots shot down at least 5 jet planes, 10 out of
them shot down at least 8 jet planes.
* "Ace of Aces": Major General Giora Epstein shot down 17 (seventeen)
jet planes, holding the world record of jets shot down.
* 126 enemy planes were shot down in dogfights in the years between the
wars - most of them in the 70`s. The IAF lost only 2 planes in dogfights
between the wars, in 1959 and in 1964.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Air_Force
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