Ramat David Airbase (, ''Basis Kheil HaAvir Ramat David'', English: David Heights) is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base located 20 km southeast of

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

in the Northern District of

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 ...

, close to

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

Ramat David in the

Jezreel Valley The Jezreel Valley (from the ), or Marj Ibn Amir (), also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. It is bordered to the north by the highlands o ...

. It is the northernmost IAF base in Israel with fighter jets, UAVs and helicopters based on it (see

Units Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...

). There is an ongoing debate about whether Ramat David should be converted into an international airport (see here).

History

RAF Ramat David

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

, in his World War II autobiography ' Going Solo', mentions landing his RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk.I at Ramat David in June 1941. At that time it was ''a ribbon of dry earth that had been rolled out in the middle of a large field of sweet-corn'' built by the Brits and residents of the nearby

, as Roald Dahl also reports near the end of his book. This secret airstrip behind

Mount Carmel Mount Carmel (; ), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias (; ), is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. A number of towns are situat ...

was installed as an alternative runway in case the Haifa Aerodrome (RAF Haifa) 20 km northwest of it was attacked and damaged by the Germans or Italians. Roald Dahl (cropped).jpg, The British pilot and writer

in 1956 Ramat David Airfield 1941 corrected.jpg, The temporary airstrip near kibbutz Ramat David around 1941 In 1942, the RAF Ramat David military airfield was finally established by the Royal Air Force (RAF) under the British Mandate for Palestine. From this point on, several British aircraft squadrons with fighter aircraft, bombers and transport aircraft were stationed there in turn (see list of former RAF units below). Hawker Hurricane I 'R4118 UP-W' (G-HUPW) (41455530471).jpg, A Hawker Hurricane Mk.I, flown by

and based on RAF Ramat David WellingtonBomber.jpg, A Vickers Wellington Mk.IA bomber, that was temporarily based on RAF Ramat David During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Jewish paratroopers trained at Ramat David to serve in RAF special operation commandos and to drop behind enemy lines in German or German-occupied territory. They were supposed to help bring downed Allied airmen safely back and help Jews hide from the Nazis. Several of them died (see memorial stone in the gallery below).

Former RAF units

Former

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

operational units at RAF Ramat David: * No. 6 Squadron RAF between 28 September 1945 and 2 June 1946 with the

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

IV &

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...

LF.9 * No. 32 Squadron RAF initially between 25 February and 27 September 145 with the Spitfire IX, then between 6 June and 3 October 1946 still with the Spitfire and finally until March 1949 with the Spitfire IX and FR.18 as a detachment *Detachment from No. 37 Squadron RAF between September 1947 and March 1948 with the

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster, commonly known as the Lancaster Bomber, is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to ...

MR.3 *Detachment from No. 46 Squadron RAF between May 1942 and January 1943 with the Bristol Beaufighter IF * No. 74 Squadron RAF between 8 July and 4 September 1942 with the Spitfire VB * No. 127 Squadron RAF between 26 January and 13 March 1943 with the Spitfire VC *Detachment from No. 154 Squadron RAF between December 1943 and March 1944 with the Spitfire IX * No. 208 Squadron RAF initially between 5 July and 13 August 1945 with the Spitfire IX, then between March and November 1948 as a detachment with the Spitfire FR.18 * No. 213 Squadron RAF between 13 September 1945 and 25 September 1946 with the North American Mustang III/IV *Detachment from

No. 216 Squadron RAF Number 216 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, since reforming on 1 April 2020 and is tasked with testing future Swarm robotics, drone swarm technology. It had previously operated Lockheed TriStar ...

from November 1942 and April 1943 with the

Lockheed Hudson The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and ...

VI *Detachment from No. 232 Squadron RAF between December 1943 and March 1944 with the Spitfire IX *Detachment from No. 242 Squadron RAF between February and March 1944 with the Spitfire IX *Detachment from No. 243 Squadron RAF between December 1943 and March 1944 with the Spitfire IX * No. 249 Squadron RAF between 13 April And 17 May 1948 with the

Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to a ...

F.6 *Detachment from No. 294 Squadron RAF between March 1944 and June 1945 with the

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington (nicknamed the Wimpy) is a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson, a key feature of t ...

*Detachment from No. 459 Squadron RAAF from December 1943, the full squadron until May 1944 with the Hudson VI *No. 1909 Flight of No. 651 Squadron RAF between July 1946 and August 1948 with the Auster AOP.6 * No. 4 Middle East Training School between 20 March 1943 and 30 April 1944, when the unit was disbanded.

Gallery

98th Bombardment Group - RAF Ramat David Palestine 1942.jpg, A

B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

aircrew from the US 98th Bombardment Group at RAF Ramat David in the summer of 1942 Nick Carter visit to Israel, April 2019. VI.jpg, Memorial stone of the WWII paratrooper school for the training of Jewish special forces in the RAF המפקדה הבריטית ברמת דוד.jpg, Plaque in front of the former British headquarters, which was then also used by the IAF An early aerial view of an Israeli air-force base from 1949, seen and taken from a B-17.jpg, Aerial photo of the already Israeli airbase in 1949, taken from a

B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...

of the IAF After the

Israeli Declaration of Independence The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), at the end of the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war phase and ...

on 14 May 1948 and the start of the First Arab–Israeli War the next day, the base was temporarily maintained by the RAF to cover the withdrawal of British forces from Palestine. On 22 May 1948, the

Royal Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) () is the Air force, 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, Egypti ...

attacked the base, mistakenly believing it was now an Israeli controlled airbase. In a series of three attacks, several aircraft were destroyed or damaged, a hangar was destroyed, and four British airmen were killed. In the further course of the fighting, five Egyptian fighter planes (all British made) were shot down. The British were furious with their allies. A short time later the base was taken over by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Ramat David IAF Base

Over time, the Airbase was expanded to the main base of IAF operations north of Israel in

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 ...

and

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 ...

. The 69 Squadron "Hammers" with three decommissioned

bombers smuggled from the US to Israel in 1948 was initially stationed here. This was done by the help of Charles Winters, a Miami businessman who was imprisoned for this and was posthumously pardoned by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

in 2008. The 103 Squadron "Elephants" with three DC-3 Dakota and one Douglas DC-5 transport aircraft was initially stationed here also, but both squadrons were relocated to other Israeli bases in the following years. The future Israeli president

Ezer Weizman Ezer Weizman (, ; 15 June 1924 – 24 April 2005) was an Israeli major general and politician who served as the president of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Air ...

(1924–2005) was base commander at Ramat David in the 1950s before he finally took over command of the IAF. In 2011 the base' Wing 1 there was named after him (see photo in gallery below). Israeli B-17Gs 01011953.JPG, Two Israeli

of 69 Squadron "Hammers" – in 1953, no longer at Ramat David Ezer Weizman 9.jpg,

(1924–2005), former commander of Ramat David Airbase, the IAF and

president of Israel The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...

Hatzerim 231219 Black Spitfire.jpg, The famous and airworthy " Black Spitfire", which was privately owned by Ezer Weizmann Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Ramat David Airbase Named after Ezer Weizman.jpg, IAF Base Wing 1 on Ramat David was named after the late Major General

in 2011

117 Squadron "First Jet"

The 117 Squadron "First Jet" was inaugurated on 17 June 1953 as the IAF's first fighter jet squadron with British

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 ...

at Ramat David. In 1962 these were replaced by French Dassault Mirage IIICJ ''Shahak'', which then took part in 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

War of Attrition The War of Attrition (; ) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from 1967 to 1970. Following the 1967 Six-Day War, no serious diplomatic efforts were made to resolve t ...

and the

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...

. In 1980, together with the 110 Squadron, they received the first F-16A/B ''Netz'' fighter jets from the USA. In June 1981, four jets from 117 Squadron took part in

Operation Opera Operation Opera (), also known as Operation Babylon, was a surprise airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force on 7 June 1981, which destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor located southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. The Israeli operation ca ...

, the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor Osirak near

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

. From 1986/87 these were then replaced by the IAF's first F-16C/D ''Barak'', which remained until the squadron was temporarily closed in 2020 .

109 Squadron "The Valley"

The 109 Squadron "The Valley" was established in 1951 under a different name at Tel Nof Airbase and moved to Ramat David in 1956, where it still exists today. It got its name “The Valley” after the

where the base is located. At Ramat David it flew the Dassault Mystère IV A, A-4H/N Skyhawk ''Ayit'', IAI ''Kfir'' C.7 and finally from 1991 to the present day the two-seater F-16D ''Barak''.

110 Squadron "Knights Of The North"

The 110 Squadron "Knights Of The North" existed from 1953 to 2017 (from 1957 at Ramat David) and flew the

De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the World War II, Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or " ...

(at Hatzor), S.O. 4050 Vautour IIA/B, Gloster Meteor F.8, A-4H/N Skyhawk ''Ayit'', F-16A/B ''Netz'', F-16C/D ''Barak'' and – together with 117 Squadron – took part in the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981.

Gallery of formerly stationed aircraft

Most of the aircraft types are now at the IAF Museum adjacent to

Hatzerim Airbase Hatzerim Airbase (, ''Basis Heil HaAvir Hatzerim'', ''lit.'' Homesteads) is an Israeli Air Force, Israeli Air Force (IAF) base on the northern edge of the Negev, Negev desert in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel, 6&nbs ...

: Meteor IAF 1954.jpg, Single-seat Gloster Meteor F.8 jet of 117 Squadron "First Jet" in flight, of Ramat David in July 1954 Gloster Meteor Hatzerim 2901101.jpg, Two two-seater Gloster Meteor T.7 jet trainer for 117 Squadron "First Jet" of the IAF Flight Academy in the 1950s 115781 haifa independence day PikiWiki Israel clip.jpg, Several S.O. 4050 Vautour jets of Ramat David in formation over Haifa on

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

in 1963 Hatzerim Vautour 33 201206.jpg, An S.O. 4050 Vautour IIB of 110 Squadron "Knights Of The North" at Ramat David from 1957 Danny Shapira, 1956 enhanced square.jpg, IAF test pilot Danny Shapira in front of a new Dassault Mystère IV A jet in June 1956, also at Ramat David Dassault MD-520 Mystere IVA (468976939)-2.jpg, A Dassault Mystère IV A jet of 109 Squadron "The Valley" at Ramat David Airbase from 1956 1970s IAF Dassault Mirage III landing at Ramat David Airbase.jpg, A Dassault Mirage IIICJ ''Shahak'' of 117 Squadron "First Jet" is landing at Ramat David Airbase in 1970 Dassault Mirage IIICJ (468967962).jpg, A Dassault Mirage IIICJ ''Shahak'' of 101 Squadron "First Fighter", also in a squadron at Ramat David 650 children from the Yahalom and Arazim schools in Maalot, which were attacked by Arab terrorists in an attach in which 22 children were killed and many others wounded, were invited to an IDF air force base (FL61935520).jpg, A-4N Skyhawk ''Ayit'' of 110 Squadron "Knights Of The North" at Ramat David, after

Ma'alot massacre The Ma'alot massacreSources describing the event as a "massacre": * * * * * * * was a Palestinian Terrorism, Palestinian terrorist attack that occurred on 14–15 May 1974 and involved the hostage-taking of 115 Israelis, chiefly school ...

1974 I042107 211 (469010027).jpg, Two A-4 Skyhawk ''Ayit'', A-4N and A-4H (left to right), 147 Squadron "Goring Ram" – also at Ramat David IAI Kfir C-7 כפיר (468973903).jpg, An Israeli-made IAI ''Kfir'' C.7 of 144 Squadron "Phoenix" with various weapons – also at Ramat David Hatzerim 131022 Netz 107.jpg, F-16A ''Netz #107'' with kill marks of 116 Squadron "Defenders Of The South" – also at Ramat David

Underground hangars

The fighter jets are housed in large underground hangar systems and shelters into which they disappear after each landing and which have several entrances and exits. This protects them from missiles and at the same time hides them from view and precise localization.

and

are only 50 to 60 km away, from where rockets are repeatedly fired at northern Israel. During the

in 1973, this airbase was the only one where rockets hit and not only destroyed facilities but also caused casualties. 2019-06-16 Ramat David Airbase.jpg, Ramat David Airbase seen from

, looking east-southeast, June 2019 Ramat David IAF base change of command ceremony, July 2022 V.jpg, Change of command ceremony at Ramat David Airbase in July 2022 ATC tower in Ramat David IAF base 2.jpg, ATC Tower at Ramat David Airbase in August 2023 with an AS565 Panther ''Atalef'' flying by Operation Guardian of the Walls, May 2021. XLIX.jpg, The

Iron Dome Iron Dome () is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired f ...

defense system, also stationed at Ramat David, is intended to protect against rockets

Hezbollah attacks

On 22 August and 22 September 2024, the terrorist group

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

launched many rockets from

in an attempt to hit the base, but no serious hit has been reported. An

defense system (see photo above) stationed there had probably intercepted most of the incoming missiles. Hezbollah had previously published a video showing the base from above by a UAV flying over for several minutes and named various buildings and installations on it. The video also showed that some Apache attack helicopters from the Ramon Airbase are temporarily stationed there to take part in military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah.

Today

F-16 fighter jets

At the beginning of October 2020, as part of an IAF efficiency program, the 117 Squadron "First Jet" with

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

fighter jets on Ramat David was disbanded and most of the jets and pilots were assigned to other units. It was involved in all of the country's wars since 1953 and, among other things, also involved in

, the destruction of an unfinished

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 ...

i nuclear reactor in 1981. In July 2021, the squadron reopened 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 ...

with new F-35I ''Adir'' jets. From March 2021, the two F-16 Squadrons 101 "First Fighter" and

105 105 may refer to: *105 (number), the number * AD 105, a year in the 2nd century AD * 105 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 105 (telephone number), the emergency telephone number in Mongolia * 105 (MBTA bus), a Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority ...

"Scorpion" were gradually relocated here from Hatzor Airbase to bring all remaining F-16C/D ''Barak'' jets under one roof. They were united with 109 Squadron "The Valley" of F-16D machines. A few other F-16C/D jets are based at Ovda in the Aggressor Training Squadron "Flying Dragon". Three squadrons with the newer F-16I ''Sufa'', adapted to Israeli needs, are based at Ramon Airbase, as well as a fourth squadron of them at

. Blue Flag, 2017 (38355754611).jpg, An F-16C ''Barak'' from the 117 Squadron "First Jet" at Blue Flag in 2017, disbanded at Ramat David in 2020 First Fighter Squadron Moves to Ramat David AFB, June 2021 (86483).jpg, Relocation of the 101 Squadron "First Fighter" with F-16C jets from Hatzor Airbase to Ramat David in 2021 Alexus Grynkewich visit to Israel, October 2022 (92388).jpg, Two F-16D ''Barak'' from the 105 Squadron "Scorpion" flying over the

Dead Sea The Dead Sea (; or ; ), also known by #Names, other names, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valle ...

in October 2022 Oser. Tayessey HaEmek 071.jpg, View from the '' 109 Squadron Lookout'' (F-16D, "The Valley") into the

with Ramat David Airbase In December 2024, the first

ultra-Orthodox Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

technician unit of the IAF was established on Ramat David, after 26 so-called ''Haredim'' had completed their training. They will be responsible for the 105 Squadron "Scorpion" with F-16D fighter jets and maintain their weapons systems. The aim of this training is to better integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army. The challenge is to enable soldiers to live a religious lifestyle within the army. This includes separate accommodation, strict kosher cuisine and the construction of a synagogue on the base. The IAF called the now completed training a "groundbreaking pilot project".

Helicopters

The Eurocopter AS565 Panther ''Atalef'' of 193 Squadron "Defenders Of The West" at Ramat David serve as maritime reconnaissance, surveillance and SAR helicopters and are used in close cooperation with the

Israeli Navy The Israeli Navy (, ''Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli'', ; ) is the Israel Defense Forces#Arms, naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea theater as well as the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea th ...

as on-board helicopters on ships of the Sa'ar 5-class corvette and Sa'ar 6-class corvette. These have their home port at the Haifa naval base, 25 km away. In the future, the Panthers will be replaced by eight SH-60 Seahawk, which were already purchased by the IAF and Navy in 2015 from stocks of the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. They will be extensively converted and equipped with Israeli systems and should be ready for use from 2024. PikiWiki Israel 19686 Israel Defense Forces.JPG, An AS565 Panther ''Atalef'' of 193 Squadron as onboard helicopter of a Sa'ar 5-class corvette in 2011 Sa'ar-6-class-corvette-0023.jpg, An AS565 Panther ''Atalef'' of 193 Squadron is flying above its Sa'ar 6-class corvette in 2024 Hubschrauber SH-60 Sea Hawk.jpg, From 2024 on the AS565 ''Atalef'' will be replaced by SH-60 Seahawk, here one of the

in 2003

Secret UAVs

There are two squadrons of still-secret UAVs at Ramat David: the 157 Squadron "In The Valley" and the 160 Squadron "Shadow Hunter" (see gallery below). It is assumed that the reason for the secrecy is their stealthiness. Since other countries have such stealth UAVs for a long time, it can also be assumed that Israel – a leading manufacturer of drones – also has such aircraft, but wants to keep their appearance secret for as long as possible. Large UAVs are also designed to fly for at least 24 hours at a time, which would make the whole of Iran accessible, for example.

International airport

Since 2014, there have been considerations to convert Ramat David into a third major international airport alongside

Ben Gurion Airport Ben Gurion International Airport , commonly known by the Hebrew language, Hebrew-language acronym (), is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on outskirts north of the city of Lod and directly south of the city of Or Yehuda, i ...

near

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

and Ramon Airport near

Eilat Eilat ( , ; ; ) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port of Eilat, port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The c ...

. The

in the south of Israel is now also being discussed, which could be used for both military and civilian purposes, as was previously the case with the Ovda Airbase for over 30 years. The IAF is strongly opposed to this latter proposal. In the meantime, the civilian conversion of Ramat David seemed to be off the table, because the local resistance to it is too strong. In 2021, the government's policy was to build two medium-sized international airports at both

in the north and

Beersheba Beersheba ( / ; ), officially Be'er-Sheva, is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most p ...

in the south. However, after the presentation of an extensive study and audit in 2023, Ramat David is again the top priority for a major airport.

Units

* 101 Squadron "First Fighter" – operating F-16C ''Barak'' * 105 Squadron "Scorpion" – operating F-16D ''Barak'' * 109 Squadron "The Valley" – operating F-16D ''Barak'' * 157 Squadron "In The Valley" – operating classified UAVs for Electronic Warfare (EW) * 160 Squadron "Shadow Hunter" – operating classified UAVs, reopened in 2020 * 193 Squadron "Defenders of the West" – operating Eurocopter AS565 Panther ''Atalef'' IAF-F-16C-Barak2020--Independence-Day-2017-Tel-Nof-IZE-190.jpg, An F-16C ''Barak'' of 101 Squadron "First Fighter" from Ramat David Airbase, here in May 2017 Flight supervisor in Hatzor IAF Base during Operation Guardian of the Walls, May 2021. V.jpg, Starting F-16D ''Barak'' of 105 Squadron "Scorpion" from Ramat David Airbase in May 2021 RamatDavid 020517 Barak 02.jpg, An F-16D ''Barak'' two-seater of 109 Squadron "The Valley" at Ramat David Airbase in May 2017 IAF Squadron 157 6.png, Badge of 157 Squadron "In The Valley" with classified UAVs for Electronic Warfare IAF Squadron 160 NEW Emblem Medal.png, Medal of recognition for the reopening of 160 Squadron as "Shadow Hunter" with classified UAVs in 2020 RamatDavid 020517 Atalef 03.jpg, An AS565 Panther ''Atalef'' maritime helicopter of 193 Squadron "Defenders of the West" in May 2017 Note: IAF aircraft can usually be assigned to their squadron by the symbols on the tail

Accidents

* On 16 September 1996, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the 193 Squadron "Defenders of the West" from Ramat David crashed about 12 miles off the coast of

Nahariya Nahariya () is the northernmost coastal city in Israel. As of , the city had a population of . The city was founded in 1935 by Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Etymology Nahariya takes its name from the stream of Ga'aton River, Ga'aton (riv ...

, killing all three crew members. * At the end of March 2000, an F-16D ''Barak'' of 109 Squadron "The Valley" from Ramat David crashed into the sea 20 kilometers off the coast of

Atlit Atlit or Athlit may refer to: Places * Atlit, an historical fortified town in Israel, also known as Château Pèlerin * Atlit (modern town), a nearby town in Israel Media *Athlit (album), ''Athlit'' (album), an ambient music album by Oöphoi *Atli ...

during a night exercise. The pilot – a grandson of former Prime Minister

Menachem Begin Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'', ; (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of both Herut and Likud and the prime minister of Israel. Before the creation of the state of Isra ...

– and his navigator were killed in the crash. * In early January 2022, an AS 565 Panther ''Atalef'' of 193 Squadron "Defenders of the West" from Ramat David crashed off the coast of

, killing two crew members and seriously injuring another.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

Ramat David from globalsecurity.org
{{Israeli Air Force Airports in Israel Israeli Air Force bases World War II airfields in Mandatory Palestine