Israeli Air Force

חיל האוויר הישראלי

The Israeli Air Force is the space and aviation branch and air force of the Israeli Defense Forces. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is considered the strongest air force in the Middle East and one of the best and most advanced air forces in the world. Established in 1948, it took part in all of Israel's wars and many daring operations, including the destruction of two nuclear reactors (Iraq 1981, Syria 2007). The IAF has known many aerial dogfights, holding a kill ratio of 27.5:1 to its favor and many of its pilots are "Aces", including Giora Even Epstein and Amir Nachumi. The IAF scored world's first operational shootdowns for many aircraft models including the Dassault Mirage III, the F-15, the F-16, and the F-35. In addition to strategic and tactic offensive operations, the IAF has also the important mission of protecting Israeli air space, shooting down hostile aircrafts and intercepting rockets and missiles fired onto Israeli cities, towns and settlements by terrorists. The IAF operates a ground-based Air Defense Force (ADF), operating surface-to-air missiles (SAM) to shoot down aircraft and rockets. The ADF operates Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow ("Hetz"), and in the future the laser-based Iron Beam.

Israeli Air Force, Wikipedia

חיל האוויר הישראלי הוא זרוע האוויר והחלל של צה"ל. חיל האוויר הישראלי נחשב לחיל האוויר החזק ביותר במזרח התיכון ולאחד מחילות האוויר הטובים והמתקדמים ביותר בעולם. חיל האוויר נוסד עם הקמת המדינה ב-1948 ולקח חלק בכל מלחמת ישראל ובאינספור מבצעים נועזים, כולל השמדת שני כורים גרעיניים (בעיראק 1981 וסוריה 2007). יחס ההפלות שלו בקרבות אוויר עומד על 27.5:1 לטובתו, ולא מעט מטייסיו הם אלופי הפלות ("אס") בהם תא"ל גיורא אבן אפשטיין (17 הפלות, שיאן הפלות במטוסי סילון) ותא"ל אמיר נחומי. חיל האוויר הישראלי רשם הפלות בכורה עולמיות עבור מטוסי קרב רבים, בהם ה"מיראז' 3" (שחק), ה-F-15 (בז, רעם), ה-F-16 (נץ, ברק, סופה) וה-F-35 (אדיר). בנוסף למשימות תקיפה אסטרטגיות וטקטיות בכל החזיתות, חיל האוויר הישראלי מופקד גם על הגנת השמיים והמרחב האווירי של ישראל, לרבות יירוט כלי טיס עוינים והשמדת רקטות וטילים המשוגרים על ערבים ויישובים בישראלי בידי מחבלים. לצד טייסות קרב בכוננות יירוט, חיל האוויר מפעיל את מערך ההגנה האווירית המיירט איומים, רקטות וטילים באמצעות טילי קרקע-אוויר (כגון "כיפת ברזל", "קלע דוד" ו"חץ" - חץ 2 וחץ 3) ובעתיד גם לייזר.

Combat Air Fleet

F-16 A/B (Netz), C/D (Barak), I (Sufa)

The legendary IAF F-16A Netz 107, a warplane that scored 6.5 aerial victories (a record for a F-16) and destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor in Osiraq.

IAF F-16I Sufa (Storm), an advanced 4.5th generation multirole fighter jet, is the backbone of the IAF air fleet. It carries out all missions including attack, targeted strikes, interceptions, air patrol and defense.

F-15 A/B/C/D (Baz), I, IA (Ra'am)

IAF F-15I Ra'am (Thunder) is a multirole warplane and IAF's strategic bomber, being the biggest and heaviest warplane capable of carrying many munitions of various types and weights to a long-range, being capable of performing strategic strikes and heavy bombings in all weather conditions. The F-15I carried out strategic strikes such as destroying Syria's nuclear reactor (2007), bombing Hezbollah's HQ in Beirut, and killing Hezbollah's supreme leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The veteran IAF F-15 Baz (F-15A/B/C/D) is still in service, arriving in the Israeli Air Force in the mid-1970s. Thanks to the dedicated outstanding ground teams, technicians, and engineers of the IAF, this combat-proven machine can still deliver the good.

F-35I (Adir)

The IAF F-35I Adir (Mighty) is an Israeli-upgraded version of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. It is a stealth 5th generation multirole warplane, the most advanced of its kind. The Israeli Air Force was the first to use it in battle, bombing classified enemy targets in the Middle East, and the first to score an aerial victory with the F-35, shooting down Iranian UAV drones, and intercepting Houthi cruise missiles.

IAF F-35I Adir in Israel's Independence Day fly-by.

AH-64 A/Ai (Peten), D (Saraph)

The Boing AH-64 Apache is the world's most advanced attack helicopter. The IAF operates two models: the IAF AH-64Ai "Peten" and the IAF AH-64D Apache Longbow "Saraph." The IAF Apache, together with the IAF AH-1 Cobra ("Tzefa"), is used to carry out pinpoint strikes against terrorists. The IAF AH-64s were fitted to carry and fire Israeli "Spike" missiles, including the Gil 2 and Tamouz NLOS missiles. The Israeli "Tamouz" (תמוז) Spike NLOS 6 is the most accurate missile in the world, capable of hitting an A4 sheet from a distance of 50 km.

Air Defense Systems

The Israeli-developed Iron Dome (כיפת ברזל) system is the most effective and successful air defense system in history, capable of intercepting rockets, mortars and drones. First deployed in 2011, the system performed thousands of interceptions with a staggering success rate of more than 90%.

David's Sling (קלע דוד) is a versatile medium-range air defense system capable of taking down long-range rockets and medium-range missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, airplanes, fighter jets, cruise missiles, and more. The David's Sling was developed by Israel (Rafael) jointly with Raytheon. The David's Sling saw its first combat in the early 2020's achieving a success rate of nearly 100%.

The Arrow (חץ) is Israel's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defense system capable of intercepting medium—to long-range ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The system is operational and has scored many successful interceptions with very high sucess rate. Here is an operational launch of an Arrow 3 interceptor during Operation Rising Lion (The 12 Days War against Iran).

The Arrow (חץ) is Israel's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defense system capable of intercepting medium—to long-range ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The Arrow 3 interceptor is an exoatmospheric interceptor that destroys the threat in space, while the Arrow 2 intercepts ballistic missiles at a lower altitude. Both systems scored their first kill in 2023, destroying Houthi ballistic missiles, and proven very successful against heavy barrages of ballistic missiles from Iran and Yemen during Swords of Iron War.

The Arrow was developed by Israel's Aerospace Industries (IAI), jointly with the IMDO (מנהלת חומה) and Boeing, and with American financial support.

Arrow 3 interceptor is launched during Operation Rising Lion (The 12 Days War against Iran). The Israeli interceptors stopped most of the 560 Iranian ballistic missiles fired toward Israel, with high rate of success.

"Or Eitan" (Strong Light / Steady Light, אור איתן), known in English as Iron Beam or Laser Dome, is an Israeli laser-weapon for air defense developed jointly by Rafael, Elbit Systems, and the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD). Interception by laser is the future of air defense, as there are no ammunition limits, and the price per interception is extremely low. A smaller version of the system, "Lahav Barzel", scored operational shootdowns of Hezbollah UAV drones during Swords of Iron War, marking the first operational interception in the world using a burning laser. The system is being deployed by the Air Defense Forces of the IDF.