Operation Focus
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Operation Focus (, ''Mivtza Moked'') was the opening airstrike by
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
at the start of the
Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
in 1967. It is sometimes referred to as the "Sinai Air Strike". At 07:45 on 5 June 1967, 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 ...
(IAF) under Maj. Gen. Mordechai Hod launched a massive airstrike that destroyed the majority of the
Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) () is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all military aircraft, including those used in support of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy ...
on the ground. Following Syrian and Jordanian attacks in retaliation, the Israeli Air Force proceeded to bomb air bases in those countries. By noon, the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian Air Forces, totaling about 450 aircraft, were destroyed. It was also very successful in disabling 18 airfields in Egypt, hindering Egyptian air operations for the duration of the war, and remains one of the most successful air attack campaigns in military history.


Summary

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 ...
launched all but 12 of its nearly 200 operational jets, and consisting mainly of Dassault Mirage III, Dassault Mystère IV, Dassault Super Mystère, Dassault Ouragan, Sud Aviation Vautour and Fouga Magister. Aerial attacks were carried in three main waves, and several smaller waves in the days following the operation. A total of 452 enemy aircraft were destroyed, most of them on the ground. That left the IAF in almost complete control of the skies, and it was able to assist the Israeli Ground Forces units effectively. The operational success was achieved by concentrating on the initial destruction of the runways with a new kind of weapon, a rocket-assisted anti-runway warhead. The prototype French/Israeli anti-runway weapon program uses rocket braking over the target to point the warhead directly toward the runway being attacked; at a set altitude, a second accelerator rocket ignites and drives the warhead through the pavement of the runway before it detonates. The explosion creates a small
crater A crater is a landform consisting of a hole or depression (geology), depression on a planetary surface, usually caused either by an object hitting the surface, or by geological activity on the planet. A crater has classically been described ...
over a large new
sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...
, meaning the damaged runway section must be completely removed before the sinkhole can be repaired rather than a normal bomb crater which is simply filled in and patched. Once the runways were disabled, entire air bases' complements of aircraft were effectively grounded and fell victim to subsequent attack waves, resulting in near-total Israeli air supremacy.


Timeline


5 June 1967

Egyptian defensive infrastructure was extremely poor, and no airfields were yet equipped with hardened aircraft shelters capable of protecting Egypt's warplanes in the event of an attack. The Israeli warplanes headed out over the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
before turning toward Egypt. Meanwhile, the Egyptians hindered their own defense by effectively shutting down their entire
air defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
system: they were worried that rebel Egyptian forces would shoot down the plane carrying Field Marshal Amer and Lt-Gen. Sedky Mahmoud, who were en route from Almaza Air Base to Bir Tamada in the Sinai to meet the commanders of the troops stationed there. In this event it did not make a great deal of difference as the Israeli pilots came in below Egyptian radar cover and well below the lowest point at which Egypt's
SA-2 The S-75 (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude air defence system. It is built around a surface-to-air missile with command guidance. Following its first deployment in 1957 it became one of the ...
surface-to-air missile batteries could bring down an aircraft. The first Israeli wave attacked 11 bases, catching much of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground and destroying them before they got airborne. The Israeli jets then returned to Israel, were "quick-turned" (refueled and re-armed) in 7 minutes 30 seconds, and left in a second wave that attacked 14 Egyptian bases and returned with only minor losses. They "quick-turned" again and departed in a third wave. The opening stages of Operation Focus were a complete success: Egypt's air force of nearly 500 combat aircraft was destroyed in the space of three hours, with only minor losses to 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 ...
. When
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
, Jordan, and
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
attacked Israeli targets in retaliation for the airstrike on Egypt, their attacks were largely ineffectual. In response many of the IAF planes headed for a third strike on Egypt were diverted en route to Syrian and Jordanian targets, and other IAF aircraft were sent against Arab ground forces in support of Israeli ground forces. By the end of the first day of the Six-day War, Israel had complete
air superiority An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmospher ...
over Egypt, the
Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...
, the
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
, and the entire Sinai desert.


6–10 June 1967

On the second day of the war (6 June) the IAF was used against Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, and Iraqi ground forces. On the third day (7 June) the IAF destroyed hundreds of Egyptian vehicles trying to flee across the Sinai in convoys and trapped thousands more in narrow Sinai passes. By the end of the third day Jordan's air force of 34 combat aircraft had essentially ceased to exist. By the sixth and final day (10 June)
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
had lost approximately 100 combat aircraft and the fighting was over.


Aftermath

During the
Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
, 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 ...
, with 250 combat aircraft at its disposal, employing 352 sorties, had prevailed over a coalition with approximately 600 combat aircraft. The IAF destroyed 452 enemy aircraft, including 79 in air combat, while losing 46 of its own. Twenty-four Israeli pilots and hundreds of Arab pilots were killed.


Number of aircraft destroyed by aircraft type

*Combat aircraft **148 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbeds' (104 from Egypt; 32 from Syria; 12 from Iraq) **29 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 'Farmers' (all from Egypt) **112 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 'Frescos' (94 from Egypt; 16 from Syria; two from Iraq) **14 Sukhoi Su-7 'Fitters' (all from Egypt) **27
Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet propulsion, jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly dev ...
s (21 from Jordan; five from Iraq; one from Lebanon) *Bomber aircraft **31 Tupolev Tu-16 'Badgers' (30 from Egypt; one from Iraq) **31 Ilyushin Il-28 'Beagles' (27 from Egypt; two from Syria; two from Iraq) *Transport aircraft **32 Ilyushin Il-14 'Crates' (30 from Egypt; two from Syria) **8 Antonov An-12 'Cubs' (all from Egypt) **4 Douglas C-47 Skytrains (two from Egypt; two from Syria) *Transport helicopters **10 Mil Mi-6 'Hooks' (eight from Egypt; two from Syria) **6 Mil Mi-4 'Hounds' (two from Egypt; four from Syria)


Number of aircraft destroyed by country

*
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
: 338 aircraft *
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
: 61 aircraft *
Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
: 21 aircraft *
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
: 23 aircraft *
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
: 1 aircraft *Others: One British de Havilland Dove and one
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
were destroyed in the ground by Israeli fighters in Jordan. *
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
lost 19 aircraft in the operation.


Totals by waves

#First wave (7:45 am): 101 sorties; 11 airfields were attacked by 183 IAF aircraft; 197 Egyptian aircraft and 8
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
stations were destroyed. Five IAF pilots were killed and five more fell captive. #Second wave (9:30 am): 164 sorties; airfields were attacked; 107 Egyptian aircraft destroyed; Two Syrian planes destroyed in dogfights #Third Wave (12:15 pm): 85 sorties against Egypt, 48 against Jordan, 67 against Syria and one against H-3 air base in Iraq. #Other waves (afternoon & evening): two more sorties against H-3; several additional attacks on Egyptian airfields.


Other effects

The effectiveness of the operation showed how vulnerable fixed air base installations were to aerial attacks at the time. This caused many nations'
air force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
s to develop improved defensive measures against them, such as constructing hardened aircraft shelters to protect aircraft on the ground and establishing
highway strip A road runway or road base or highway airstrip (US), is a section of an automotive public road, highway, Controlled-access highway, motorway, or similar, that is specially built (or adapted) to act as a runway for (primarily) military aircraft, ...
s as alternative air bases.


References


Sources

* *Danni Shalom, ''Like A Bolt Out of the Blue: How the Arab Airforces were destroyed in the Six-Day War'', BAVIR – Aviation Publications, 2002, 650 pages, hardcover. * Oren, Michael B. ''Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East'' New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. *Samuel M. Katz ''Israel's Air Force''; The Power Series. Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers, Osceola, WI. 1991.


External links


IAF official website – Six Day War

Operation Focus: The Winning Air Strike
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Focus, Operation Six-Day War Airstrikes conducted by Israel Attacks on airports in Africa Attacks on airbases in Syria Attacks on buildings and structures in 1967 Attacks on military installations in the 1960s Attacks on military installations in Egypt Attacks in Jordan Airstrikes in Egypt Airstrikes in Syria Military operations involving airports