140 Squadron (Israel)

140 Squadron
טייסת נשר הזהב
Country	Israel
Branch	Israeli Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Nevatim Airbase
Aircraft flown
Attack	F-35I Adir

140 Squadron's and Israel's first two F-35I jets on its arrival at Nevatim Airbase, December 2016

140 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), also Golden Eagle Squadron, is an F-35I Adir squadron based at Nevatim Airbase in Israel. ^[1]

History

Formerly an A-4H/N and then an F-16A/B squadron, ^[2] the squadron was closed in August 2013, as part of IDF budget cuts. Its aircraft were allocated to 116 Squadron (Defenders of the South).^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2015, it was announced that the "Golden Eagle" Squadron would be the first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Squadron in the IAF. ^[3] The squadron received its first two aircraft in December 2016. ^[1]

• 
  An A-4H/N Skyhawk Ayit of 140 Squadron "Golden Eagle" of Etzion Airbase around 1973
• 
  The F-16A Netz #243 of Ilan Ramon, involved in Operation Opera, exhi­bited in Czechia in 2004

References

1. Cohen, Gili (December 12, 2016). "After Long Delay, IDF's First Two F-35 Fighter Jets Land in Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
2. "140 Squadron – The Golden Eagle". Globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
3. "?". AirForces Monthly (March 2016). Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing: 23. 2016.