| Israeli Air and Space Arm | |
|---|---|
| זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל | |
 Emblem of the Israeli Air and Space Arm | |
| Founded | May 28, 1948; 77 years ago (1948-05-28) |
| Country |  Israel |
| Type | |
| Role | |
| Size | |
| Part of | Israel Defense Forces |
| Headquarters | HaKirya,Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Air Force | AlufTomer Bar |
| Insignia | |
| Roundel |   |
| Flag |  |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Boeing F-15I Ra'am,AH-64D Saraf |
| Fighter | McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle,General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon,Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II |
| Patrol | Eurocopter AS565 Panther |
| Reconnaissance | IAI Eitam,Beechcraft RC-12D |
| Trainer | Grob G-120,Beechcraft T-6 Texan II,Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master,Beechcraft C-12 Huron,Bell 206 |
| Transport | Boeing 707-320,Lockheed C-130 Hercules,Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion,Sikorsky S-70 |
| Tanker | Lockheed KC-130 Hercules,Boeing KC-707 |
TheIsraeli Air Force (IAF;Hebrew:זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל,romanized: Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal,lit. 'Air and Space Arm', commonly known asחֵיל הָאֲוִיר,Kheil HaAvir, "Air Corps") operates as theaerial andspace warfare branch of theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after theIsraeli Declaration of Independence. As of April 2022[update],AlufTomer Bar has been serving as the Air Force commander.
The Israeli Air Force was established using commandeered or donated civilian aircraft and obsolete and surplusWorld War II combat aircraft. Eventually, more aircraft were procured, includingBoeing B-17s,Bristol Beaufighters,de Havilland Mosquitoes andP-51D Mustangs. The Israeli Air Force played an important part inOperation Kadesh, Israel's part in the 1956Suez Crisis, dropping paratroopers at theMitla Pass. On June 5, 1967, the first day of theSix-Day War, the Israeli Air Force performedOperation Focus, debilitating the opposing Arab air forces and attaining air supremacy for the remainder of the war.
Shortly after the end of the Six-Day War, Egypt initiated theWar of Attrition, and the Israeli Air Force performed repeated bombings of strategic targets deep within enemy territory. When theYom Kippur War broke out on October 6, 1973, Egyptian and Syrian advances forced the IAF to abandon detailed plans for thedestruction of enemy air defences. Forced to operate under the missile and anti-aircraft artillery threats, the close air support it provided allowed Israeli troops on the ground to stem the tide and eventually go on the offensive.
Since that war most of Israel's military aircraft have been obtained from the United States. Among these are theA-4 Skyhawk,F-4 Phantom II,F-15 Eagle,F-16 Fighting Falcon andF-35 Lightning II. The Israeli Air Force has operated a number of domestically produced types such as theIAI Nesher, and later, the more advancedIAI Kfir. On June 7, 1981, eight IAF F-16s covered by six F-15s carried outOperation Opera to destroy the Iraqi nuclear facilities at Osiraq. On June 9, 1982, the Israeli Air Force carried outOperation Mole Cricket 19, crippling Syrian air defences in Lebanon. On October 1, 1985, In response to aPLOterrorist attack which murdered three Israeli civilians inCyprus, the Israeli air force carried outOperation Wooden Leg, bombing thePLO Headquarters inTunis. In 1991, the IAF carried outOperation Solomon which broughtEthiopian Jews to Israel. In 1993 and 1996, the IAF participated inOperation Accountability andOperation Grapes of Wrath, respectively. It has taken part in many operations since, including the2006 Lebanon War,Operation Cast Lead,Operation Pillar of Cloud,Operation Protective Edge,Operation Guardian of the Walls andOperation Swords of Iron. On September 6, 2007, the Israeli Air Force successfully bombed an alleged Syrian nuclear reactor inOperation Orchard.[3]
The Israeli Air Force states the following as its functions:[4]
The insignia /roundel of the Israeli Air Force consists of a blueStar of David on a white circle. Aircraft usually carry it painted in six positions – on the top and bottom of each wing, and on each side of the fuselage. A low-visibility variant – a blue Star of David without the white circle – exists, although its use is extremely rare. Squadron markings usually go on the tail fin.
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Forerunners of the Israeli Air Force wereSherut Avir, the air wing of theHaganah, and the Palestine Flying Service established by theIrgun in 1937.[5]The Israeli Air Force formed on May 28, 1948, shortly after Israel declared statehood andfound itself under attack. The force consisted of a hodge-podge of commandeered or donated civilian aircraft 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 25Avia S-199spurchased from Czechoslovakia, essentiallyCzechoslovak-builtMesserschmitt Bf 109s, and 60Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IXEs, the first of which, "Israel 1", was locally assembled from British abandoned spare parts and a salvaged engine from anEgyptian Air Force Spitfire, with most of the rest purchased from Czechoslovakia.[6]
Israel's new fighter-arm first went into action on May 29, 1948, assisting efforts to halt the Egyptian advance fromGaza northwards.
On May 30, after un-assembled planes were strafed on the ground atEkron airfield, the fighters were moved to makeshift strip located around the currentHerzliya Airport. The airfield was used as it was a bit back from the front-lines, and was clandestine since it was a purpose built strip, that was constructed after the beginning of hostilities, in between the orange orchards around Herzliya, and did not appear on published maps. The Israeli Air Force scored its first aerial victories on June 3 when Modi Alon, flying Avia D.112, shot down two Egyptian Air ForceDC-3s which had just bombedTel Aviv. The first dogfight against enemy fighters took place a few days later, on June 8, when Gideon Lichtaman shot down an EgyptianSpitfire.[7]
During these initial operations, the squadron operated with a few planes versus almost complete Arab theaterair supremacy. The airplanes were parked dispersed between the orange trees. The fighters were moved in October toHatzor Airbase from the Herzliya strip due to its unsuitability in rainy conditions, probable loss of clandestine status, moving front lines which made former British bases safe for use, and a shift in the balance ofair superiority towards the Israelis.[8][9][10]
The Israeli Air Force played an important part inOperation Kadesh, Israel's part in the 1956Suez Crisis. At the launch of the operation, on October 29, IsraeliP-51D Mustangs, some using their propeller blades, severed telephone lines in theSinai.[11] 16 IAFDC-3s – escorted by fighters – dropped Israeli paratroopers behind Egyptian lines at theMitla Pass and Et-Tur. The Israeli Air Force conducted attacks on Egyptian ground units and assisted the Israeli Navy in capturing the Egyptian Navy destroyerIbrahim el Awal, which had bombarded the Israeli city ofHaifa – an airstrike damaged the Egyptian ship's engines, enabling Israeli ships to reach it and capture it.
In three hours on the morning of June 5, 1967, the first day of theSix-Day War, the Israeli Air Force executedOperation Focus, crippling the opposing Arab air forces and attaining air supremacy for the remainder of the war. In a surprise attack, the IAF destroyed most of theEgyptian Air Force while its planes were still on the ground. By the end of the day, with surrounding Arab countries drawn into the fighting, the IAF had mauled theSyrian andJordanian air forces, striking as far asIraq. After six days of fighting, Israel claimed a total of 452 Arab aircraft destroyed, of which 49 were aerial victories.
After the IAF's impressive performance in the Six-Day War, theLyndon Johnson administration decided to sellF-4 Phantom fighters to Israel in 1968, marking the first sale of American military equipment to Israel.[12]
Shortly after the end of the Six-Day War, Egypt initiated theWar of Attrition, hoping to prevent Israel from consolidating its hold over the lands captured in 1967. Israel's goal in the fighting was to exact heavy losses on the opposing side, in order to facilitate a ceasefire. The Israeli Air Force undertook repeated bombings of strategic targets deep within enemy territory and repeatedly challenged Arab air forces for aerial supremacy, while supporting operations by Israel's ground and naval forces.
In late 1969 the Soviet Union began to deploy fighter aircraft units and surface-to-air missile units to Egypt. The Soviet surface-to-air missile units soon joined their Egyptian allies in direct confrontations with Israeli aircraft. Soviet fighters conducted patrols, but Israeli pilots were ordered not to engage them. On July 30, 1970, the tension peaked: An IAF ambush resulted in alarge scale air brawl between IAF planes and MiGs flown by Soviet pilots—fiveMiGs were shot down, while the IAF suffered no losses.
Fear of further escalation and superpower involvement brought the war to a conclusion. By the end of August 1970, the Israeli Air Force had claimed 111 aerial kills while reporting losing only four aircraft to Arab fighters. Egyptian and Soviet forces claimed to shoot down approximately 20 Israeli Air Force planes with surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery units.
On October 6, 1973, with war imminent, the IAF began preparing for a pre-emptive strike against Egyptian and Syrian airfields and anti-aircraft positions. The Israeli government decided against pre-emption.[13] IAF aircraft were therefore in the process of re-armament to the air-to-air role whenYom Kippur War hostilities began at 14:00.[14] The next morning began withOperation Tagar, a SEAD offensive against Egyptian air defences, beginning with strikes against Egyptian air bases.Tagar was quickly discontinued when the dire situation on theGolan Heights became apparent.[15]
IAF efforts were redirected north, where the ill-fatedOperation Model 5 was carried out. Flying with outdated intelligence and no electronic screening against mobile SAM batteries and heavy flak, 6 IAF Phantoms were lost.[15] The sustained campaign required to defeat enemy air defences was abandoned in the face of Egyptian and Syrian advances and the IAF was forced to operate under the SAM threat. Nevertheless, the close air support it provided allowed Israeli troops on the ground to stem the tide and eventually go on the offensive, first in the north and later in the south.[16][17]
After the failure of the Israeli counter-offensive in the Sinai on October 8, the southern front remained relatively static and the IAF focused its attention on the Syrian front.[17] While A-4 Skyhawks provided much needed support to troops on the ground, at the cost of 31 aircraft by the end of fourth day of the war,[18] IAF Phantoms repeatedly struck Syrian air fields.[19] Following SyrianFROG-7 strikes on military and civilian targets in northern Israel, the IAF initiated a campaign to destroy the infrastructure on which Syria's war-making capacity depended, targeting strategic targets in Syria such as its oil industry and electricity generating system.[20] By October 13 the Syrians had been pushed back and beyond their initial lines, Damascus had come within range of Israeli artillery and an Iraqi armored brigade, the vanguard of its expeditionary force, was destroyed.[21]
On October 14 the Egyptian army launched an offensive along the entire front but was repulsed by theIDF. Israel followed on this success by attacking at the seam between the 2nd and 3rd Egyptian armies and crossing theSuez Canal into Egypt. Israeli forces fanned north and south, destroying Egyptian rear units andpunching holes through its air defence array. This allowed the IAF the freedom of action it was previously denied and renewed attacks led to the collapse of theEgyptian Air Defence Force. This prompted increased diplomatic activity to resolve the war, coupled with increased activity by the Egyptian Air Force. From about October 18 to the end of the war, intensive air battles took place between Israeli and Egyptian aircraft.[17][22]
Official Israeli Air Force losses of the Yom Kippur War were 102 aircraft, including 32 F-4 Phantoms, 53 A-4 Skyhawks, 11 Dassault Mirages, and 6IAI Sa'ars, although other accounts suggest as many as 128 Israeli aircraft were lost.[23][24] 91 air force personnel, of which 53 were airmen, were killed. 172 Egyptian aircraft were shot down in air-to-air combat, for a loss of between 5 and 21 for the Israelis, on all fronts.[24][25] No official numbers were released on the Arab side, though total Egyptian losses were between 235 and 242 aircraft. Syria lost between 135 and 179.[24][26]
Since the war, most of Israel's military aircraft have been obtained from the United States. Among these are theF-4 Phantom II,A-4 Skyhawk,F-15 Eagle andF-16 Fighting Falcon. The Israeli Air Force has operated a number of domestically produced types such as theIAI Nesher, and later, the more advancedIAI Kfir, which were derivatives of the FrenchDassault Mirage 5. The Kfir was adapted to utilize a more powerful U.S. engine, produced under license in Israel. On July 4, 1976, four IsraeliC-130 Hercules transport aircraft secretly flew to Entebbe Airport for arescue operation. In March 1978, the Israeli Air Force participated inOperation Litani.
On June 7, 1981, eight IAF F-16A fighters covered by six F-15A jets carried outOperation Opera to destroy the Iraqi nuclear facilities at Osiraq. Among the pilots who took part in the attack wasIlan Ramon, later Israel's firstastronaut.
Prior to the1982 Lebanon War, Syria, with the help of theSoviet Union, had built up an overlapping network of surface-to-air missiles inLebanon'sBeqaa Valley. On June 9, 1982, the IAF carried outOperation Mole Cricket 19, crippling the Syrian air defence array. In subsequent aerial battles against theSyrian Air Force, the IAF managed to shoot down 86 Syrian aircraft without losing a single fighter plane in an air-to-air combat. IAFAH-1 Cobrahelicopter gunships destroyed dozens of Syrianarmored fighting vehicles and other ground targets, including someT-72main battle tanks.
In the decades since the war's official conclusion (including theconflict that followed), the IAF has regularly conducted air strikes against targets in Southern Lebanon, namelyHezbollah positions.
On October 1, 1985, the IAF carried outOperation Wooden Leg, which involved the bombing of the PLO Headquarters nearTunis. This was the longest combat mission ever undertaken by the IAF, traversing 2,300 kilometers.
In 1991, the IAF carried outOperation Solomon which broughtEthiopian Jews to Israel. In 1993 and 1996, the IAF participated inOperation Accountability andOperation Grapes of Wrath, respectively.
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In the late 1990s, the IAF began acquiring theF-15I Ra'am (Thunder) and theF-16I Sufa (Storm), manufactured specially for Israel according to IAF requirements. The first of 102 F-16I Sufas arrived in April 2004, joining an F-16 fleet that had already been the largest outside the US Air Force. The IAF also purchased the advanced Israeli air-to-air missileRafael Python 5, with full-sphere capability, as well as a special version of theApache Longbow, designated AH-64DI orSaraph. In 2005 the Israeli Air Force received modified Gulfstream V jets ("Nachshon"), equipped with advanced intelligence systems made byIsrael Military Industries. By 2013 Israel became the world's largest exporter ofdrones.[27] In December 2016, Israel received its first pair ofF-35 Lightning II from the United States.[28]
Three months after the assassination of the leader ofHezbollah,Abbas al-Musawi, the IAF launched an offensive acrossSouth Lebanon with five air raids in six days. Some of the targets struck were as far north asBaalbek. On the final day, 26 May 1992, there were more than 40 missile strikes. Over 20 civilians were killed during the attacks.[29]
The Israeli Air Force took an extensive part in IDF operations during theal-Aqsa Intifada, including the controversialtargeted killings of Palestinian terrorist leaders, most notablySalah Shakhade,Ahmed Yassin andAbed al-Aziz Rantissi. While this policy was criticized due to thecollateral damage caused in certain instances, Israel claims it is vital in its fight against terrorism and that IAF pilots do whatever they can to avoid civilian casualties, including aborting strikes. In 2007, Israel achieved acivilian casualty ratio of 1:30, or one civilian casualty for every thirty combatant casualties, inits airstrikes on militants in the Palestinian territories.[30]Alan Dershowitz noted that "No army in history has ever had a better ratio of combatants to civilians killed in a comparable setting".[31]
The IAF played a critical role in the2006 Lebanon War. IAF strikes—mainly, though not exclusively, insouthern Lebanon—were aimed at stopping rocket launches byHezbollah's militia targeting Israeli towns. The IAF flew more than 12,000 combat missions during this war. The most notable, taking place during the second day of the war, resulted in the IAF destroying 59Iranian-supplied medium- and long-rangemissile launchers in just 34 minutes.[32]
Widespread condemnation followed the July 30IAF airstrike on a building suspected to be a militant hideout near the village of Qana, in which 28 civilians were killed.Hezbollah shot down an IAFCH-53 Yas'ur helicopter on the last day of the war, killing five crew members.[33][34] Israeli aircraft shot down three of Hezbollah'sIranian-made[35] aerialdrones during the conflict.[36]
In the 2007Operation Outside the Box, the Israeli Air Force attacked a suspected Syrian nuclear weapons site.[3] The IAF used electronic warfare (EW) system to neutralize Syria's air defenses,[37] feeding them a false sky-picture while IAF jets crossed much of Syria, bombed their targets and returned to Israel unchallenged.[38]
SinceHamas' takeover of Gaza in 2007, the Israeli Air Force has taken part in repeated bouts of violence between Israel and the Hamas-held Gaza Strip. In December 2008, the IAF spearheadedOperation Cast Lead, carrying out more than 2,360 air strikes. It had a principal role in destroyingHamas targets, and killed several senior Hamas commanders, includingSaid Seyam,[39]Nizar Rayan,[40]Tawfik Jaber,[41] and Abu Zakaria al-Jamal.[42]
According to aCBS news report, in January 2009 Israeli planesstruck a convoy of trucks in Sudan headed forEgypt and carrying weapons apparently meant for theGaza Strip. Seventeen trucks were bombed, and thirty-nine smugglers were killed in the strike.[43] On April 5, 2011, a car driving fromPort Sudan Airport toPort Sudan wasdestroyed by a missile. Both passengers were killed. one of whom may have been a senior Hamas military commander. The Sudanese Foreign Minister blamed the attack on Israel.[44] Sudanese newspapers reported that Israeli aircraft attacked Gaza-bound arms convoys again in late 2011.[45] On October 24, 2012, Sudan claimed that Israel hadbombed a munitions factory south of Khartoum.[46][47][48]
The Israeli Air Force also operates surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery units. Since 1990 their primary role has been the interception of surface-to-surface missiles and rockets fired into Israel. In 2011 the IAF began operating the 'Iron Dome' anti-rocket missile system, which within a year had successfully intercepted and destroyed 93 rockets fired at Israeli towns from Gaza.[49]
In November 2012, the IAF participated inOperation Pillar of Defense, during which, according to theIDF Spokesperson, Israeli forces targeted more than 1,500 military sites in Gaza Strip, including rocket launching pads, smuggling tunnels, command centers, and weapons manufacturing and storage facilities. Many of these attacks were carried out by the Air Force.[50]
Between July 8 and August 5, 2014, the IAF participated inOperation Protective Edge, during which, according to the IDF Spokesperson, Israeli forces targeted 4,762 terror sites across the Gaza Strip, including rocket launching sites, command and control centers, military administration facilities, weapons storage and manufacturing facilities and training and military compounds.[51]
In May 2021, Israeli artillery and air force carried out 1,500 strikes on Gaza duringOperation Guardian of the Walls.[52] Starting in October 2023, the Israeli Air Force fulfilled a main role in theGaza war.[53]
Thecivil war raging within Israel's northern neighbor, has occasionally witnessed activity by the IAF, some overt, some unacknowledged and some merely attributed. Notable actions include:
In theIsrael–Gaza war beginning in October 2023, the IAF played a major role through itsbombing of Gaza and subsequent support for ground troops in the ensuinginvasion of the Gaza Strip.
| Order of Battle |
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Thirty nine Israeli pilots have been credited with ace status, having shot down at least 5 enemy aircraft. Of these, 10 have shot down at least eight jet planes. The top ranking Israeli ace is ColonelGiora Epstein, who shot down seventeen enemy planes. Epstein holds the world record for jet aircraft shot down, and the most aircraft of any type shot down since theKorean War.
Israel Defence Forces had until 1995 denied women the opportunity to become pilots. In 1995, civilian pilot andaeronautical engineerAlice Miller successfully petitioned the Israel High Court of Justice to take the Israeli Air Force pilot training exams, after being rejected on grounds of gender. The court in 1996 eventually ruled that the IAF could not exclude qualified women from pilot training. Even though Miller would not pass the exams, the ruling was a watershed, opening doors for women in new IDF roles. After the prohibition had been lifted, the first female graduate wasF-16 navigator "Shari" in 1998, followed three years later byRoni Zuckerman, the first female jet fighter pilot in IAF history.[83][84]
IAF ranks are identical to otherIsrael Defense Forces ranks. The rank insignia are identical except for the use of silver against a dark blue background. The service's most senior-ranking active officer is the air force commander, which is the billet of a major general (aluf), and reports directly to theIDF Chief of Staff.
| Rank group | General/Flag/Air officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Israeli Air Force[85] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| רב-אלוף Rav aluf | אלוף Aluf | תת-אלוף Tat aluf | אלוף משנה Aluf mishne | סגן-אלוף Sgan aluf | רב סרן Rav seren | סרן Seren | סגן Segen | סגן-משנה Segen mishne | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israeli Air Force[85] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| רב-נגד Rav nagad | רב-סמל בכיר Rav samal bakhír | רב-סמל מתקדם Rav samal mitkadem | רב-סמל ראשון Rav samal rishon | רב-סמל Rav samal | סמל ראשון Samal rishon | סמל Samal | רב טוראי Rav turai | טוראי Turai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History |  | |
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| Unmanned | ||
| Other | ||
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