Tel Nof Airbase

Tel Nof Airbase (English: Lookout hill) , also known as Air Force Base 8, is the main base of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and houses its headquarter. It is located 5 km south of Rehovot, Israel.
Tel Nof houses two fighter, two helicopter and a UAV squadron. Also located at the base is the Flight Test Center and several special units of the Israel Defense Forces, Unit 669 (heliborne Combat Search and Rescue) and the Paratroopers Brigade training center.
History
Tel Nof was founded in July 1939 during the British Mandate as RAF Aqir and served as the main Royal Air Force station in Palestine. After the British withdrew in 1948, the base was initially called Ekron Airfield and, from 1950, Tel Nof Airbase.
The base housed the IAF Flight Academy until April 1966 when the Flight Academy was moved to Hatzerim Airbase.
Nuclear weapons
Tel Nof Airbase is located 3 km northwest of the Sdot Micha Airbase complex, where nuclear weapons for its missions are reportedly stored. Fighter aircraft capable of carrying these weapons, such as today's F-15C/D Eagle Baz and once the F-4 Phantom II Kurnass, have been on alert around the clock at the base since the 1970s.
Current
Since January 2019, the so-called "Red Baron" Squadron has been operating on Tel Nof to train German soldiers on the Heron TP UAV. IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) has built its own version of this UAV for the German Air Force, whose crews are now being trained by Israeli soldiers and technicians. This unit is the only non-fully Israeli squadron within the IAF.
In November 2020, a brand-new F-35I Adir from the USA landed directly on Tel Nov. This specially equipped machine will serve as a test platform at the local Flight Test Center for further improvement of this stealth jet.
At the end of 2021, Israel ordered twelve new CH-53K King Stallion Wild transport helicopters from the US for two billion dollars, which will complement the CH-53D Sea Stallion Yas'ur on Tel Nof in the next few years. In July 2023, the 114 Squadron "Night Leaders" was temporarily closed and merged with the 118 Squadron "Night Riders". The former will reopen in the future and accommodate the new CH-53K King Stallion as they arrive from the United States.
The aging F-15C/D Eagle Baz fighter jets on Tel Nof will be replaced in the medium term by new F-15IA (Israel Advanced), which are based on the F-15EX Eagle II. 25 new jets for a complete squadron have already been ordered, which will not be delivered until 2028 at the earliest, and 25 more aircraft are to be added at some point. These new, powerful fighter bombers would be needed to carry heavy bunker-busting bombs that could then be used against Iran's underground nuclear facilities.
Units
106 Squadron "Edge Of The Spear" – operating F-15C/D Eagle Baz
114 Squadron "Night Leaders" – temporarily closed until new CH-53K King Stallion Wild arrive from the US
118 Squadron "Night Riders" – operating CH-53D Sea Stallion Yas'ur
133 Squadron "Knights Of The Twin Tail" – operating F-15C/D Eagle Baz
210 Squadron "White Eagle" – operating IAI Eitan UAVs
5601 Squadron "Flight Test Center" Manat – operating examples of all IAF aircraft
Unit 555 "Sky Ravens" – Electronic Warfare EW
Unit 669 "Flying Cats" – heliborne Combat Search and Rescue CSAR (at Palmachim also)
Paratroopers Brigade Training Center
"Red Baron" Squadron – to train German crews on the Heron TP UAV
Note: IAF aircraft can usually be assigned to their squadron by the symbols on the tail
Former RAF Aqir units
Operational units of the Royal Air Force stationed at RAF Aqir from 1941 to 1948.
No. 6 Squadron RAF between 17 and 24 February 1941 with the Westland Lysander
No. 10 Squadron RAF detachment (1942) Handley Page Halifax
No. 11 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV
No. 32 Squadron RAF (1946) Supermarine Spitfire IX
No. 37 Squadron RAF (1945) Consolidated Liberator VI
No. 45 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV
No. 55 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV
No. 70 Squadron RAF (1945) Consolidated Liberator VI
No. 80 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
No. 84 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV
No. 113 Squadron RAF (1946–1947) Handley Page Halifax
No. 159 Squadron RAF (1942) Consolidated Liberator II
No. 160 Squadron RAF (1942) Consolidated Liberator II
No. 162 Squadron RAF (1942) Vickers Wellington later Bristol Blenheim IV
No. 208 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Audax and (1946) Supermarine Spitfire VIII
No. 211 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV
No. 215 Squadron RAF (1947) Douglas Dakota I
No. 221 Squadron RAF detachment (1945) Vickers Wellington XII
No. 227 Squadron RAF (1942) Handley Page Halifax
No. 250 Squadron RAF (1941) Curtiss Tomahawk IIB
No. 294 Squadron RAF detachment (1944) Vickers Wellington IC
No. 335 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
No. 450 Squadron RAAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I
No. 620 Squadron RAF (1946) Douglas Dakota and Handley Page Halifax
No. 621 Squadron RAF (1946) Avro Lancaster ASR.III
No. 680 Squadron RAF detachment (1945) Fairchild Argus
No. 76 Operational Training Unit RAF Vickers Wellington - Formed at RAF Aqir on 1 October 1943, equipped with Vickers Wellington Mk.IIIs and Xs to train night bomber crews for squadrons in the Middle East, disbanding on 30 July 1945. 76 OTU, despite operating Wellingtons, were also working up crews for B-24 Liberators. After completion of their course those crews were passed on to Liberator conversion units.
See also
List of former Royal Air Force stations
References
Bibliography
External links
Aeroflight World Airforces
The RAF in Palestine
Israeli Air Force bases
Buildings and structures in Rehovot
RAF Aqir