قاعدة رامات دافيد

Coordinates: 32°40′00″N 035°11′00″E / 32.66667°N 35.18333°E / 32.66667; 35.18333
Ramat David Israeli Air Force Base
Air Wing 1
Ramat David Batch.png
בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִויר רָמַת דָּוִד
Ramat David, Northern District في Israel
Ramat David Airbase Map.png
Ramat David Airbase is located in Northern Haifa region of Israel
Ramat David Airbase
Ramat David Airbase
Shown within Israel
Ramat David Airbase is located in إسرائيل
Ramat David Airbase
Ramat David Airbase
Ramat David Airbase (إسرائيل)
الإحداثيات32°40′00″N 035°11′00″E / 32.66667°N 35.18333°E / 32.66667; 35.18333
النوعAirbase
معلومات الموقع
المالكIsrael Defense Forces
المشغلIsraeli Air Force
تاريخ الموقع
بُني1942 RAF / 1948 IAF
قيد الاستخدام1942 - present
معلومات مدرج جوي
المميزاتICAO: LLRD
الارتفاع56 metres (184 ft) فوق سطح البحر
المدارج
الاتجاه الطول والسطح
09/27 2,606 metres (8,550 ft) Asphalt
11/29 2,431 metres (7,976 ft) Asphalt
15/33 2,406 metres (7,894 ft) Asphalt
Four Israeli fighter pilots walking in front of their Gloster Meteor F.8 jets of 117 Squadron "First Jet" in 1953 or later at Ramat David Airbase

Ramat David Airbase ((ICAO: LLRD), بالعبرية: בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִיר רָמַת דָּוִד‎ 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 Valley. It is the northernmost IAF base in Israel with fighter jets, UAVs and helicopters based on it.

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History

RAF Ramat David

In 1942, the RAF Ramat David military airfield was established by the Royal Air Force (RAF) under the British Mandate for Palestine. During the Second World War Jewish paratroopers trained here to serve in RAF special operations 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).

After the Israeli Declaration of Independence 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 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. Five Egyptian fighter planes were shot down.[1] A short time later the base was taken over by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

  • An aircrew from the 98th Bombardment Group at RAF Ramat David in 1942

    An aircrew from the 98th Bombardment Group at RAF Ramat David in 1942

  • Memorial stone of the WWII paratrooper school for the training of Jewish special forces in the RAF

    Memorial stone of the WWII paratrooper school for the training of Jewish special forces in the RAF

  • Plaque in front of the former British head­quar­ters, which was then also used by the IAF

    Plaque in front of the former British head­quar­ters, which was then also used by the IAF

Ramat David IAF Base

Over time, it became the main base of IAF operations north of Israel in Syria and Lebanon. The future Israeli President Ezer Weizman (1924–2005) was a base commander here in the 1950s before he finally took over command of the IAF. In 2011 the base or Wing 1 there was named after him.

  • Aerial photo of the Israeli Ramat David Airbase in 1949, taken from a B-17 Flying Fortress

    Aerial photo of the Israeli Ramat David Airbase in 1949, taken from a B-17 Flying Fortress

  • IAF Base Wing 1 was named after Major General Ezer Weizman in 2011

    IAF Base Wing 1 was named after Major General Ezer Weizman in 2011

  • Ezer Weizman (1924–2005), commander of Ramat David, the IAF and president of Israel

    Ezer Weizman (1924–2005), commander of Ramat David, the IAF and president of Israel

  • Ramat David Airbase seen from Mount Carmel, looking east-southeast, June 2019

    Ramat David Airbase seen from Mount Carmel, looking east-southeast, June 2019

  • Change of command ceremony at Ramat David Airbase in July 2022

    Change of command ceremony at Ramat David Airbase in July 2022

  • ATC Tower at Ramat David Airbase in August 2023 with an AS565 Panther Atalef flying by

    ATC Tower at Ramat David Airbase in August 2023 with an AS565 Panther Atalef flying by

Squadrons and their aircraft

The 117 Squadron "First Jet" was inaugurated on 17 June 1953 as the IAF's first fighter jet squadron with British Gloster Meteor at Ramat David. In 1962 these were replaced by French Dassault Mirage III Shahak, which then took part in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War. 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, the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor Osirak near Baghdad. From 1986/87 these were then replaced by the IAF's first F-16C/D Barak, which remained until the squadron was closed in 2020 .[2]

The 109 Squadron “The Valley” was founded 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 Jezreel Valley where the base is located. On Ramat David it flew the Dassault Mystère IV, A-4 Skyhawk Ayit, IAI Kfir (Young Lion) and finally from 1991 to the present day the two-seat F-16D Barak.[3]

The 110 Squadron “Knights Of The North” existed from 1953 to 2017 (from 1957 on Ramat David) and flew the De Havilland Mosquito, S.O. 4050 Vautour II, Gloster Meteor, A-4 Skyhawk Ayit, F-16A/B Netz, F-16C/D Barak and also took part in the destruction of the Iraqi reactor in 1981.[4]

Formerly stationed aircraft and types now in the IAF Museum at Hatzerim

Underground hangars

The fighter jets are housed in a large underground hangar system into which they disappear after each landing and which has several entrances and exits. This protects them from missiles and at the same time hides them from view and precise localization. Syria and Lebanon are only 50 to 60 km away, from where rockets are repeatedly fired at northern Israel. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, this airbase was the only one where rockets hit and not only destroyed facilities but also caused casualties.[5]

Today

Fighter jets

At the beginning of October 2020, as part of an IAF efficiency program, the 117 Squadron "First Jet" with F-16 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 Operation Opera, the destruction of an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981.[6] In July 2021, the squadron reopened at Nevatim Airbase with new F-35I Adir jets.[7]

In March 2021, the two F-16 Squadrons 101 "First Fighter" and 105 "Scorpion" were relocated here from Hatzor Airbase to bring all remaining F-16C/D Barak jets under one roof.[8] 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 Hatzerim Airbase.

Helicopters

The Eurocopter AS565 Panther Atalef of the 193 Squadron "Defenders Of The West" on Ramat David serve as maritime reconnaissance, surveillance and SAR helicopters and are used in close cooperation with the Israeli Navy as on-board helicopters on ships of the Sa'ar 5-class corvette and Sa'ar 6-class corvette.[9] These have their home port in the Haifa naval base, 25 km away.

In early January 2022, an AS 565 Panther Atalef crashed off the coast of Haifa, killing two crew members and seriously injuring another.[10]

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. They will be extensively converted and equipped with Israeli systems and should be ready for use from 2024.[10]

International airport

Since 2014, there have been considerations to convert Ramat David into a third major international airport alongside Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and Ramon Airport near Eilat.[11] The Nevatim Airbase 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.[12]

In the meantime, the civilian conversion of Ramat David seemed to be off the table, because the local resistance to it is too strong.[13][مرجع دائرة مفرغة] In 2021, the government's policy was to build two medium-sized international airports at both Haifa in the north and Be'er Sheva in the south.[14] However, after the presentation of an extensive study and audit in 2023, Ramat David is again the top priority for a major airport.[15][16]

Units

Note: IAF aircraft can usually be assigned to their squadron by the symbols on the tail

Former RAF units

Roald Dahl, in his World War II autobiography 'Going Solo', mentions landing his RAF Hawker Hurricane at Ramat DavidI don't think the Brits called it R.D.[محل شك] in 1941. At the time it was a hastily prepared grass airstrip rolled out in a cornfield by the residents of the nearby kibbutz.

Former Royal Air Force operational units at RAF Ramat David:

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مرئيات

مشاهد صورتها طائرة تجسس تابعة لحزب الله لقاعدة رمات ديفيد الجوية في 23 يوليو 2024

انظر أيضاً

المصادر

  1. ^ "Israel v the RAF". spyflight.co.uk. 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  2. ^ "The First Jet Squadron". WayBack-Machine: IAF-Website. 2019-03-14. Archived from the original on 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2024-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ "The Valley Squadron". WayBack-Machine: IAF-Website. 2019-03-14. Archived from the original on 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2024-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ "The Knights of the North". WayBack-Machine: IAF-Website. 2019-04-26. Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2024-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ "1st Wing Under Attack". IAF-Website (in العبرية). 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  6. ^ "Israel löst die First-Jet-Staffel auf". Flugrevue (in الألمانية). 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  7. ^ "The 117th Squadron has Reopened". IAF-Website. 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  8. ^ "Israel Set To Move Two F-16 Units To Ramat David". key.aero. 2021-03-19. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. ^ أ ب "Between Sea and Sky". WayBack-Machine: IAF-Website. 2018-09-20. Archived from the original on 2019-06-13. Retrieved 2024-03-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ أ ب "The helicopter that crashed off Haifa". mako.co.il (in العبرية). 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  11. ^ "Air force base slated to become second major airport". The Times Of Israel. 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  12. ^ "Two air force bases under consideration as Israel's third international airport". The Times Of Israel. 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  13. ^ "The fight against the establishment of an international airport in the Jezreel Valley". he-Wikipedia (in العبرية). Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  14. ^ "Transport Minister cancels Ramat David airport". calcalist.co.il (in العبرية). 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  15. ^ "The professional committee recommends the establishment of an airport in Ramat David". calcalist.co.il (in العبرية). 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  16. ^ "Netanyahu instructed Simhon to examine the establishment of a new international airport in Ramat David". globes.co.il (in العبرية). 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  17. ^ "The First Fighter Squadron". IAF-Website. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  18. ^ "Flying with JDAMs". IAF-Website. 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  19. ^ "From Gesher to Halom to Today: 101st Squadron celebrates 75 years". IAF-Website (in العبرية). 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  20. ^ "The Scorpion Squadron". IAF-Website. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  21. ^ "The Valley Squadron Celebrates 65". IAF-Website. 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  22. ^ "פינת הנצחה לחללי שייטת 157, בסיס רמת דוד". Yazkor (in العبرية). Ministry of Defense (Israel). Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  23. ^ "עמק יזרעאל: טייסת 157 מאמצת את ניצולי השואה". Ycom (in العبرية). Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Old jet with new logo of 160 Squadron on Ramat David". John Malony on flickr. 2019-09-29. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  25. ^ "Medal and information about 160 Squadron". israel-insignia.com (in العبرية). 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  26. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 26.
  27. ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 191.

Bibliography

  • Jefford, C. G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.

External links

تمّ الاسترجاع من "https://www.marefa.org/w/index.php?title=قاعدة_رامات_دافيد&oldid=4011530"