Two F-35IAdir of 116 Squadron "Lions of the South" (lion symbol at tail) from Nevatim Airbase
116 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as Lions of the South Squadron (former Flying Wing and Defenders of the South Squadron), is an F-35IAdir[1] stealth fighter squadron based at Nevatim Airbase. They once flew the F-16A/B.[2]
The squadron was established in 1956 as a P-51 Mustang squadron under the name "Flying Wing Squadron". The squadron was established as an IDF squadron (emergency deployment), when 14 flight instructors from the flight school at the Tel Nof base, then Ekron, were assigned to it. Its first commander was the commander of the school, Major Tzaik Yavne, and the only regular pilot in it was Lt. Amitai Hasson "Shapan". The squadron was established at the Tel Nof base (Ekron), next to the flight school.
In Operation Kadesh, the squadron's planes gave the starting signal for war – four of the squadron's planes used their propellers to tear the Egyptian telephone cables in Sinai in order to sever the connection between the Egyptian army deployed in Sinai and its headquarters in Cairo. During the war, the squadron made 66 sorties, most of them preventing sorties and providing close assistance to the ground forces. 6 of the squadron's planes were lost, one pilot was killed and the other was captured.
At the beginning of 1957 the squadron received the planes of the 105 squadron and its reserve pilots. In 1959, the Harvard aircraft of Squadron 140 were added to the squadron. On 15 January 1961, the Mustang aircraft was taken out of service and the squadron was closed.
In October 1961, the squadron was re-established at Hatzor Airbase with the pilots and the Dassault Mystère IV planes of squadron 101 which was preparing to receive the Dassault Mirage III plane. The first squadron commander during the Mystère period was Rafi Har-Lev, and his deputies were Ran Packer and Aharon "Yello" Shavit. Two weeks later the squadron moved back to the Tel Nof base.
In the Six Day War, in the first wave, 6 buildings from the squadron attacked Fayed Airport. One of the carriers, the squadron commander, Major Yonatan Shahar, was injured by the explosion of a plane he bombed, abandoned his plane and was rescued during the night. Shahar was replaced by his lieutenant, Avihu Ben-Nun. During the war, the squadron made 269 operational sorties, 5 of its planes were shot down, two pilots were killed and one was captured.
In November 1967, two formations from the squadron went on a mission to attack Jordanian armor that bombed IDF positions around Beit Shan as part of the Umm Short incident. The plane of Capt. David Nebo, the deputy commander of the squadron, was hit, he abandoned and was killed immediately upon reaching the ground.
In 1968, the squadron received the Mystère planes of Squadron 109, together with the reserve pilots and the Air Force, in preparation for receiving the Skyhawk planes in this squadron. The squadron operated throughout the war of attrition, during which it even lost one of its fighters. On 18 March 1971, the Mystère planes made their last flight.
On 18 February 1971, the Skyhawk Model H planes of the squadron arrived in Israel, and on 7 March 1971, the first flight was made by the squadron commander, Major Yossi Aviv.
During the Yom Kippur War, Major Ehud Shelah commanded the squadron. During the war, planes and pilots of Squadron 140, which was in the stages of being established at the Etzion base, were added to the squadron. Ehud Shelah was replaced by Major Shmuel Ben-Rom. Two pilots were captured.
After the war, the squadron's aircraft were replaced by a more advanced model, the Model N. This model served in the squadron until its closure as the Skyhawk Squadron. In October 1983 the squadron was the first squadron to move to the Nevatim Airbase, and in 1985 the squadron, with its then commander Amos Yadlin, also became a KAM squadron, an advanced training course.
In 2002 the squadron finished its operational flights as the Skyhawk squadron. In 2003, it received F-16 Fighting Falcon models A and B, "Hawk", and renamed it "Defenders of the South". In August 2013, Squadron 116 received into its ranks the Hawk aircraft of Squadron 140, most of its personnel and the KAM branch (operational training course), after the latter was closed as part of the cuts in the security system. In the summer of 2015, the squadron was closed as the "Hawk" squadron. The closing of the squadron was the end of the operational era of the "Hawk" planes in the Air Force.
Then the squadron was revitalised after the arrival of F-35 Adir lightning planes.[1]
The Israeli Air Force 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 Independence. As of April 2022, Aluf Tomer Bar has been serving as the Air Force commander.
David Elkana Ivry is a Major General (retired) in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). As commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) he played a key role in Operation Opera, the destruction of the Iraqi nuclear reactor located 990 miles (1,590 km) from Israel, in 1981. In 1999, Ivry was appointed first director of the Israeli National Security Council. From 2003 to 2021, he served as the Vice President of Boeing International and president of Boeing Israel. Ivry was the Israeli Ambassador to the United States from 2000 to 2002.
Hatzor Airbase, also titled Kanaf 4 is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base, located in central Israel near kibbutz Hatzor Ashdod after which it is named. However, there have been no fighter jets stationed there since 2021, only patrol aircraft, UAVs and defense missiles. A Combined Operations Center for the US military and Israel has also been built there in 2021.
Ramat David Airbase 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. There is an ongoing debate about whether Ramat David should be converted into an international airport.
Tel Nof Airbase, also known as Air Force Base 8, is the oldest and main base of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) located 5 km south of Rehovot, Israel. Tel Nof houses two strike fighter, two helicopter and a UAV squadron. Also located on the base are the Flight Test Center Manat and several special units of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), among others Unit 669 and the Paratroopers Brigade training center and its headquarters.
Nevatim Airbase, also Air Force Base 28, is an 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 Israel and has three runways of different lengths. Stealth fighter jets, transport aircraft, tanker aircraft and machines for electronic reconnaissance/surveillance, as well as the Wing of Zion, are stationed there.
Hatzerim Airbase is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base on the northern edge of the Negev desert in the Southern District of Israel, 6 km west of Beersheba, near kibbutz Hatzerim. Apart from operational fighter jets, it houses the IAF Flight Academy, the IAF Aerobatic Team and the IAF Museum.
101 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), also known as the First Fighter Squadron, operates F-16C Fighting Falcon Barak out of Ramat David Airbase.
Squadron 107, also known as the "Knights of the Orange Tail Squadron", is a fighter aircraft squadron in the Israeli Air Force. The squadron operates F-16I ("Sufa") aircraft from the Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev.
The 113 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as the Tayeset Ha'Tsira'a. The squadron operates AH-64D Apache Longbows.
Palmachim Airbase is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base and spaceport, which the IAF and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) operate jointly. It is located west of the city of Yavne on the Mediterranean coast, 12 km south of the Gush Dan metropolitan area with Tel Aviv, named after the Kibbutz Palmachim north of it. There are no fighter jets stationed there, but helicopters, UAVs and defense missiles.
123rd Squadron is a squadron of the Israeli Air Force also known as Desert Birds Squadron.
The 131 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as the Yellow Bird Squadron, is a C-130E and KC-130H squadron based at Nevatim Airbase.
Avihu Ben-Nun was the 11th commander of the Israeli Air Force between 1987 and 1992.
115 Squadron, also known as the Flying Dragon or Red Squadron, is the Israeli Air Force's aggressor squadron. Based at Ovda, it is the sole IAF squadron to operate fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and ground-based assets.
Giora Romm was an Israeli military officer who served as deputy commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Israel's military attaché in the United States and as director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Romm was the IAF's first jet ace, scoring five kills during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1969, during the War of Attrition, Romm was shot down and spent several months in Egyptian captivity. He commanded the IAF's 115 Squadron through the intensive fighting of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and participated in Operation Wooden Leg, the 1985 raid against PLO headquarters in Tunisia.
210 "White Eagle" Squadron of the Israeli Air Force is an IAI Eitan squadron based at Tel Nof Airbase.
The Israeli Air Force Flight Academy trains aircrew to operate Israeli Air Force aircraft, qualifying fighter, helicopter and transport pilots as well as combat and transport navigators.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Israeli procurement is the result of an agreement for the government of Israel to procure the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II for the Israeli Air Force as the F-35I "Adir". The first nine F-35s became operational with the Israeli Air Force in December 2017.
Ran Ronen was an Israeli Air Force (IAF) brigadier general and fighter ace credited with seven kills. He commanded various fighter squadrons, the IAF flight academy, and Tel Nof Airbase, retiring from the IAF with the rank of brigadier general. One of his pilots later described him as "the greatest squadron commander ever".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Israel 
Israel Defense Forces 
Israeli Air Force 
