Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force ( IAF ; , " Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal " , " Air and Space Arm " , commonly known as , " Kheil HaAvir " , " Air Corps " ) operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces . It was founded on May 28 , 1948 , shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence . Aluf Amir Eshel serves as the Air Force Commander . The Israeli Air Force formed on May 28 , 1948 , using commandeered or donated civilian aircraft and obsolete and surplus World War II combat - aircraft . Eventually , more aircraft were procured , including Boeing B - 17s , Bristol Beaufighter s , de Havilland Mosquito es and P - 51D Mustangs . The Israeli Air Force played an important part in Operation Kadesh , Israel ' s part in the 1956 Suez Crisis . On June 5 , 1967 , the first day of the Six - Day War , the Israeli Air Force executed Operation Focus , crippling 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 the War of Attrition , and the Israeli Air Force undertook repeated bombings of strategic targets deep within enemy territory . On October 7 , 1973 , the IAF conducted Operation " Tagar " against Egyptian air bases of the Egyptian Air Defence Force . Although initially successful , with 10 bases hit , the urgency of the fighting on the Golan heights forced the operations ' suspension . Since that war most of Israel ' s military aircraft have been obtained from the United States . Among these are the F - 4 Phantom II , A - 4 Skyhawk , F - 15 Eagle and F - 16 Fighting Falcon . The Israeli Air Force has also operated a number of domestically produced types such as the IAI Nesher , and later , the more advanced IAI Kfir . On June 7 , 1981 , eight IAF F - 16A fighters covered by six F - 15A jets carried out Operation Opera to destroy the Iraqi nuclear facilities at Osiraq . On June 9 , 1982 , the Israeli Air Force carried out Operation Mole Cricket 19 , crippling the Syrian air defence array . The IAF continued to mount attacks on Hezbollah and PLO positions in south Lebanon . On October 1 , 1985 , In response to a PLO terrorist attack which murdered three Israeli civilians in Cyprus , the Israeli air force carried out Operation Wooden Leg . The strike involved the bombing of PLO Headquarters in Tunis , by F - 15 Eagles . In 1991 , the IAF carried out Operation Solomon which brought Ethiopian Jews to Israel . In 1993 and 1996 , the IAF participated in Operation Accountability and Operation Grapes of Wrath , respectively . It took part in many missions since , including during the 2006 Lebanon War , Operation Cast Lead , Operation Pillar of Cloud and Operation Protective Edge . On September 6 , 2007 , the Israeli Air Force successfully bombed an alleged Syrian nuclear reactor in Operation Orchard . Mission statement . The Israeli Air Force states the following as its functions : Insignia . The insignia / roundel of the Israeli Air Force consists of a blue Star 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 . Squadron markings usually go on the tail fin . History . Early years ( 1948 – 1967 ) . The forerunners of the Israeli Air Force were the Palestine Flying Service established by the Irgun in 1937 , and Sherut Avir , the air wing of the Haganah . The Israeli Air Force formed on May 28 , 1948 , shortly after Israel declared statehood and found itself under attack . It 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 25 Avia S - 199 s ( purchased from Czechoslovakia , essentially Czechoslovak - built Messerschmitt Bf 109 s ) and 62 Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IXEs ( also purchased from Czechoslovakia ) . Creativity and resourcefulness were the early foundations of Israeli military success in the air , rather than technology ( which , at the inception of the IAF , was generally inferior to that used by Israel ' s adversaries ) . Many of the first IAF ' s pilots in 1948 were foreign volunteers ( both Jewish and non - Jewish ) and World War II veterans , who wanted to collaborate with Israel ' s struggle for independence . Israel ' s new fighter - arm first went into action on May 29 , 1948 , assisting the efforts to halt the Egyptian advance from Gaza northwards . Four newly arrived Avia S - 199s , flown by Lou Lenart , Modi Alon , Ezer Weizman and Eddie Cohen , struck Egyptian forces near Ashdod . Although damage to the enemy was minimal , two aircraft were lost and Cohen killed , the attack achieved its goal and stopped the Egyptians . The Israeli Air Force scored its first aerial victories on June 3 , when Modi Alon , flying Avia D . 112 , shot down two Egyptian Air Force DC - 3 s which had just bombed Tel Aviv . The first dogfight against enemy fighters took place a few days later , on June 8 , when Gideon Lichtaman shot down an Egyptian Spitfire . As the war progressed more and more aircraft were procured , including Boeing B - 17s , Bristol Beaufighter s , de Havilland Mosquito es and P - 51D Mustangs , leading to a shift in the balance of power . Suez Crisis ( 1956 ) . The Israeli Air Force played an important part in Operation Kadesh , Israel ' s part in the 1956 Suez Crisis . At the launch of the operation , on October 29 , Israeli P - 51D Mustangs severed telephone lines in the Sinai , some using their propellor blades , while 16 IAF DC - 3 s escorted by fighters dropped Israeli paratroopers behind Egyptian lines at the Mitla Pass and Et - Tur . The Israeli Air Force also conducted attacks on Egyptian ground units and assisted the Israeli Navy in capturing an Egyptian warship that bombarded the Israeli city of Haifa – an airstrike damaged the Egyptian ship ' s engines , enabling Israeli ships to reach it and capture it . Six - Day War ( 1967 ) . In three hours on the morning of June 5 , 1967 , the first day of the Six - Day War , the Israeli Air Force executed Operation 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 the Egyptian Air Force while its planes were still on the ground . By the end of the day , with surrounding Arab countries also drawn into the fighting , the IAF had mauled the Syrian and Jordanian air forces as well , striking as far as Iraq . 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 , the Lyndon Johnson administration decided to sell F - 4 Phantom fighters to Israel in 1968 , marking the first sale of American military equipment to Israel . War of Attrition . Shortly after the end of the Six - Day War , Egypt initiated the War 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 consequently undertook repeated bombings of strategic targets deep within enemy territory and repeatedly challenged Arab air forces for aerial supremacy , all the 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 . However , on July 30 , 1970 , the tension peaked : An IAF ambush resulted in a large scale air brawl between IAF planes and MiGs flown by Soviet pilots — five MiG s 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 . Yom Kippur War ( 1973 ) . 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 , however , decided against pre - emption . IAF aircraft were therefore in the process of re - armament to the air - to - air role when Yom Kippur War hostilities began at 14 : 00 . The next morning begun with Operation " Tagar " , a SEAD offensive against Egyptian air defences , beginning with strikes against Egyptian air bases . " Tagar " , however , was quickly discontinued when the dire situation on the Golan Heights became apparent . IAF efforts were redirected north , where the ill - fated Operation " Doogman 5 " was carried out . Flying with outdated intelligence and no electronic screening against mobile SAM batteries and heavy flak , 6 IAF Phantoms were lost . 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 . 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 . 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 , IAF Phantoms repeatedly struck Syrian air fields . Following Syrian FROG - 7 strikes on military and civilian targets in northern Israel , the IAF also 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 . 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 . On October 14 the Egyptian army launched an offensive along the entire front , but was repulsed by the IDF . Israel followed on this success by attacking at the seam between the 2nd and 3rd Egyptian armies and crossing the Suez Canal into Egypt . Israeli forces fanned north and south , destroying Egyptian rear units and punching 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 the Egyptian 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 . Official Israeli Air Force losses of the Yom Kippur War number at 102 aircraft , including 32 F - 4 Phantoms , 53 A - 4 Skyhawks , 11 Dassault Mirages , and 6 IAI Sa ' ars , although other accounts suggest as many as 128 Israeli aircraft were lost . 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 ) . No official numbers were released on the Arab side , though total Egyptian losses were between 235 and 242 aircraft , while Syria lost between 135 and 179 . Expansion ( 1973 – 1982 ) . Since the war most of Israel ' s military aircraft have been obtained from the United States . Among these are the F - 4 Phantom II , A - 4 Skyhawk , F - 15 Eagle and F - 16 Fighting Falcon . The Israeli Air Force has also operated a number of domestically produced types such as the IAI Nesher , and later , the more advanced IAI Kfir , which were unauthorised derivatives of the French Dassault Mirage 5 . The Kfir was adapted to utilize a more powerful U . S . engine , produced under license in Israel . On July 4 , 1976 , four Israeli C - 130 Hercules transport aircraft secretly flew to Entebbe Airport for a rescue operation . In March 1978 , the Israeli Air Force participated in Operation Litani . On June 7 , 1981 , eight IAF F - 16A fighters covered by six F - 15A jets carried out Operation Opera to destroy the Iraqi nuclear facilities at Osiraq . Among the pilots that took part in the attack was Ilan Ramon , later Israel ' s first astronaut . 1982 Lebanon War and aftermath . Prior to the 1982 Lebanon War , Syria , with the help of the Soviet Union , had built up an overlapping network of surface - to - air missiles in Lebanon ' s Beqaa Valley . On June 9 , 1982 , the Israeli Air Force carried out Operation Mole Cricket 19 , crippling the Syrian air defence array . In subsequent aerial battles against the Syrian Air Force , the IAF managed to shoot down 86 Syrian aircraft without losing a single fighter plane in an air - to - air combat . IAF AH - 1 Cobra helicopter gunship s destroyed dozens of Syrian armored fighting vehicle s and other ground targets , including some T - 72 main battle tank s . For many years after the war ' s official end , and throughout Israeli presence in Lebanon , the IAF continued to mount attacks on Hezbollah and PLO positions in south Lebanon . On October 1 , 1985 , In response to a PLO terrorist attack which murdered three Israeli civilians in Cyprus , the Israeli air force carried out Operation Wooden Leg . The strike involved the bombing of PLO Headquarters in Tunis , by F - 15 Eagles . This was the longest combat mission ever undertaken by the IAF , a stretch of 2 , 300 kilometers , involving in - flight refueling by an IAF Boeing 707 . As a result , PLO headquarters and barracks were either destroyed or damaged . 1990s and beyond . Many of the IAF ' s electronics and weapons systems are developed and built in Israel by Israel Military Industries , Israel Aerospace Industries , Elbit , and others . Since the 1990s , the IAF has upgraded most of its aircraft with advanced Israeli - made systems , improving their performances . In 1990 the IAF began receiving the AH - 64 Apache helicopter gunship and started equipping its aircraft with the Rafael Python 4 , Popeye , and Derby missiles . During the first Gulf War of 1991 , Israel was attacked by Iraqi Scud missiles . Israeli Air Force pilots were on constant stand - by in their cockpits throughout the conflict , ready to fly to Iraq to retaliate . Diplomatic pressure as well as denial of IFF transponder codes from the United States , however , kept the IAF grounded while Coalition air assets and Patriot missile batteries supplied by the US and the Netherlands sought to deal with the Scuds . In 1991 , the IAF carried out Operation Solomon which brought Ethiopian Jews to Israel . In 1993 and 1996 , the IAF participated in Operation Accountability and Operation Grapes of Wrath , respectively . In the late 1990s , the IAF began acquiring the F - 15I Ra ' am ( Thunder ) and the F - 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 missile Rafael Python 5 , with full - sphere capability , as well as a special version of the Apache Longbow , designated AH - 64DI or Saraph . In 2005 the Israeli Air Force received modified Gulfstream V jets ( " Nachshon " ) , equipped with advanced intelligence systems made by Israel Military Industries . The Israeli Air Force took an extensive part in IDF operations during the al - Aqsa Intifada , including the controversial targeted killing s of Palestinian militant leaders , most notably Salah Shakhade , Ahmed Yassin and Abed al - Aziz Rantissi . While this policy was criticized due to the collateral 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 a civilian casualty ratio of 1 : 30 , or one civilian casualty for every thirty combatant casualties , in its airstrikes on militants in the Palestinian territories . Alan Dershowitz noted that " No army in history has ever had a better ratio of combatants to civilians killed in a comparable setting " . On October 5 , 2003 , the Israeli Air Force attacked an alleged Palestinian militant training camp in Ain es Saheb , Syria . 2006 Lebanon War . The IAF played a critical role in the 2006 Lebanon War . IAF strikes — mainly , though not exclusively , in southern Lebanon — were aimed at stopping rocket launches by Hezbollah ' 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 59 Iranian - supplied medium - and long - range missile launchers in just 34 minutes . Widespread condemnation followed the July 30 IAF 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 IAF CH - 53 Yas ' ur helicopter on the last day of the war , killing five crew members . Israeli aircraft also shot down three of Hezbollah ' s Iranian - made aerial drones during the conflict . Activities 2007 – present . On September 6 , 2007 , the Israeli Air Force successfully bombed an alleged Syrian nuclear reactor in Operation Orchard . According to a CBS news report , in January 2009 Israeli planes struck a convoy of trucks in Sudan headed for Egypt and carrying weapons apparently meant for the Gaza Strip . Seventeen trucks were bombed and thirty - nine smugglers were killed in the strike . On April 5 , 2011 , a car driving from Port Sudan Airport to Port Sudan was destroyed by a missile . Both passengers were killed and one of the passengers may have been a senior military commander of Hamas . The Sudanese Foreign Minister blamed the attack on Israel . Sudanese newspapers reported that Israeli aircraft attacked Gaza - bound arms convoys again in late 2011 . On October 24 , 2012 , Sudan claimed that Israel had bombed a munitions factory south of Khartoum . The Israeli Air Force also operates surface - to - air missile and anti - aircraft artillery units . These have all participated in the wars and have shot down a number of Arab aircraft . Since 1990 their major role has been 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 . In November 2012 , the IAF participated in Operation Pillar of Defense , during which , according to the IDF 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 buildings . Many of these attacks were carried out by the Air Force . On January 30 , 2013 , Israeli aircraft allegedly struck a Syrian convoy transporting weapons to Hezbollah . Other sources stated the targeted site was a military research center in Jamraya responsible for developing biological and chemical weapons . Two additional air strikes reportedly took place on May 3 and 5 , 2013 . Both targeted long - ranged weapons in transit through Syria from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon . According to anonymous U . S . officials , Israel launched another airstrike on 5 July . It targeted Russian - made Yakhont anti - ship missiles near the city of Latakia , and killed several Syrian troops . Israel is believed to have carried out another raid on October 30 , 2013 . The attack happened at an air defense site in Snawbar , 10 miles south of Latakia . Syrian opposition sources , as well as Lebanese sources , reported that another strike happened in Latakia on January 26 , 2014 . The target was allegedly S - 300 missiles . It was reported that Israeli aircraft carried out two airstrikes against Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon near the border with Syria on February 24 , 2014 , killing several militants . The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed the attack targeted a Hezbollah missile base . Between July 8 and August 5 , 2014 , the IAF participated in Operation Protective Edge , during which , according to the IDF Spokesperson , Israeli forces targeted 4 , 762 terror sites across the Gaza Strip , including rocket launching facilities , command and control centers , military administration facilities , weapons storage and manufacturing facilities , and training and military compounds . On 23 September 2014 , a Syrian Air Force Su - 24 was shot down by an IAF MIM - 104 Patriot Air Defense battery , after allegedly crossing the Syrian - Israeli ceasefire line during a ground attack mission against Syrian opposition forces . On December 7 , 2014 , Israeli jets allegedly bombed areas near Damascus international airport and in the town of Dimas , near the border with Lebanon . According to foreign reports the attack targeted a warehouse of advanced S - 300 missiles , which were en route from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon . On 18 January 2015 , Israeli helicopters attacked a Hezbollah ' s convoy in the Syrian - controlled of Golan Heights , killing six prominent members of Hezbollah and six IRGC commanders , including a General . On 25 April 2015 , a series of attacks attributed to the Israeli Air Force were made in the al - Qalamoun region of Syria against Hezbollah camps and weapons convoys in two brigade bases . On 29 July 2015 , Israeli airplanes reportedly struck a vehicle located in a Druse village in southwestern Syria , killing Hezbollah men and a pro - Assad militiaman . A second airstrike targeted a military base along the Syrian - Lebanese border belonging to a pro - Syrian Palestinian faction . It was reported that Samir Kuntar was among those killed . On 20 and 21 August 2015 , after four rockets hit the Golan Heights and Upper Galilee , Israel launched airstrikes in Syria , killing several militants . Pilot selection and training . 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 Colonel Giora 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 the Korean War . Although women had served as pilots during the Israeli War of Independence and a few years thereafter , the Israeli Defence Forces had until 1995 denied women the opportunity to become pilots . In 1995 , civilian pilot and aeronautical engineer Alice 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 . Though president Ezer Weizman , a former IAF commander , told Miller that she ' d be better off staying home and darning socks , 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 was F - 16 navigator " Shari " in 1998 , followed three years later by Roni Zuckerman , the first female jet fighter pilot in IAF history . Ranks . IAF ranks are identical to other Israel Defense Forces ranks 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 the IDF Chief of Staff .