210 "White Eagle" Squadron of the

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...

is an IAI Eitan squadron based at Tel Nof Airbase.

History

The squadron was inaugurated on December 20, 2010, at a ceremony at Tel Nof, and accepted its first UAV in February 2011.Newdick and Zidon 2013, p. 200 Its first commander was Lt. Colonel S. It is currently led by Lt. Colonel A. 210 Squadron is the IAF's first UAV unit to operate away from the IAF's traditional UAV hub at

Palmachim Palmachim () is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located about ten kilometers south of the Gush Dan, Tel Aviv area along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, among the sand dunes, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gan Raveh Regional Council. In it h ...

. Tel Nof offers a longer runway and the more extensive infrastructure required by the two-ton class Eitan, and will help the integration of UAV operations into the IAF's core operational thinking. The squadron's aircraft wear a Light Compass Grey scheme, and feature tail art in the shape of a white eagle against a black background on their vertical stabilizers. On January 29, 2012, one of the squadron's UAVs crashed shortly after takeoff from Tel Nof. falling near Kibbutz

Hafetz Haim Hafetz Haim (, ''lit.'' desirous of life) is a religious kibbutz in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah, it falls under the jurisdiction of Nahal Sorek Regional Council. In it had a population of . History The land on which Hafetz Haim ...

. The aircraft suffered damages estimated at several million dollars. The Eitan fleet was grounded for several months until two investigative teams, one by the air force and another by Israel Aircraft Industries, submitted their findings. The aircraft was found to have gone down during flight testing of a navigational component fitted on one of its wings, which broke. After additional tests by IAI, the air force permitted the Eitan back into the air in September 2012. Two months later the squadron took part in

Operation Cast Lead Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

. 210 Squadron and the Eitan have been mentioned amid the talk of a possible Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program. The UAV's high service ceiling, its ability to stay a loft for a considerable amount of time, and large payload and range, have made it especially suited for long-range and advanced reconnaissance and intelligence missions. The aircraft have been linked to possible Israeli strikes against Iranian arms convoy in Sudan. In 2017, the squadron received "Ethan" aircraft of an improved model with increased carrying capacity and new capabilities. which increased the SDA of the squadron by 50%. During the

Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...

, it also played a key role in targeting

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

History

References

Notes

Bibliography