The 117 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), also known as the First Jet Squadron, is initially a training squadron for F-35I ''Adir'' fighter pilots, based at

Nevatim Airbase Nevatim Airbase (, English: sprouts) , also Air Force Base 28, is an Israeli Air Force, Israeli Air Force (IAF) base, located 15 km east-southeast of Beersheba, near moshav Nevatim in the northern Negev desert. It is one of the largest in ...

History

Before it closed in September 2020 after 67 years of service, the 117th was an

F-16C The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superio ...

fighter squadron based at

Ramat David Airbase Ramat David Airbase (, ''Basis Kheil HaAvir Ramat David'', English: David Heights) is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base located 20 km southeast of Haifa in the Northern District of Israel, close to kibbutz Ramat David in the Jezreel Val ...

. The squadron was openend there on 17 June 1953 and operated Israel's first

jet fighter Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the air ...

, the

Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneere ...

, flying the T.7 (two-seat trainer), F.8 (fighter) and FR.9 (reconnaissance) variants. In July 2021, ''Airforce Technology'' reported that the Israeli Air Force had re-established the 117 Squadron "First Jet" as a training squadron in the IAF's F-35I ''Adir'' division, based at

in the

Negev The Negev ( ; ) or Naqab (), is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort town, resort city ...

. It will become an operational squadron as soon as there are enough jets arrived from the US. Dan Tolkovsky (85069).jpg, Opening ceremony of the then new 117 Squadron on 17 June 1953 at

1970s IAF Dassault Mirage III landing at Ramat David Airbase.jpg, A Dassault Mirage IIICJ ''Shahak'' of 117 Squadron "First Jet" is landing at

in 1970 Blue Flag, 2017 (38355754611).jpg, An

''Barak'' from the 117 Squadron "First Jet" at Blue Flag in 2017, disbanded at

Ramat David Ramat David () is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Jezreel Valley near Ramat David Airbase, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The kibbutz was established in 1926 ...

in 2020 Reopening of the 117th Squadron, July 2021. IV.jpg, The reopening of the 117 Squadron on 1 July 2021 at

with F-35I ''Adir'' jets

References

Israeli Air Force squadrons {{Israel-mil-stub