| 144 Squadron | |
|---|---|
| טייסת עוף החול | |
 The Phoenix rises from the ashes | |
| Active | 1972–2005, 2022–present |
| Country | Israel |
| Branch |  Israeli Air Force |
| Role | Air Defence |
| Garrison/HQ | Hatzor Airbase |
| Nickname(s) | Phoenix Squadron |
| Aircraft flown | |
| SparkNitsot UAV[1] | |
144 Squadron of theIsraeli Air Force (IAF), also known as thePhoenix Squadron, operates SparkNitsotUAVs out ofHatzor Airbase.
The squadron was established in 1972 at theEtzion Airbase of the IAF, in the northeastSinai, not far from theGulf of Aqaba. The first planes that were taken in by the "Guardians of the Arava" squadron wereIAI Nesher planes which was the first fighter plane produced byIAI according to the plans of the FrenchDassault Mirage 5. The first six planes landed at Etzion on 6 September 1972.
The arrival of 50 Mirage 5 jets was stopped due to an embargo imposed by the French government on arms trade with Israel in 1967. This accelerated the development of the Nesher jet by IAI, to fulfill the operational needs of the IAF. In theYom Kippur War 1973 the squadron shot down 44 enemy planes, with no own losses and no casualties.
At the beginning of 1982, the construction of the newOvda Airbase base was completed, a few kilometers from Etzion, in Israeli territory, within the Ovda Valley. This base as well asRamon Airbase andNevatim Airbase were built by the United States as compensation for the evacuation of the Sinai for the vast training areas there, and the departure of four airbases:Eitam,Rephidim,Ophira andEtzion.
144 Squadron moved to its new home at Ovda equipped withKfir C-2 jets, which were a further development of theNesher jet. In the middle of the 1980s, the improved Kfir C-7 arrived at the "Guardians of the Avara" squadron. In 1988, after major cuts in the military budget, they decided to close theOvda Airbase as an operational wing and theSchool of Aviation Professions was transferred to the base.
So 144 Squadron together with149 Squadron moved toHatzor Airbase in 1988. There they took the place of two Kfir squadrons that had just been closed,113 Squadron and254 Squadron.
The 144 Squadron, which was the last to operate the Kfir, was chosen to be the lastF-16A/BNetz squadron also, when in 1994 the jets began to arrive, a gift from the United States for the Israeli peace and security effort and to give up territories in exchange for peace. At the end of 2005 the squadron was closed.
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In August 2022 the squadron was re-opened atHatzor Airbase as a UAV squadron.[2]
The squadron is the first squadron to operate the SparkNitzot (Orbiter 4) – as a new UAV in the Air Force and part of the "Storm Clouds" system that will be established in the IDF and is shared by air and ground forces.[3][4]
