115 Squadron (Israel)
Encyclopedia
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 also ground-based assets.
PR.16s out of Hatzor Airbase
. These were soon augmented by three Mosquito NF.30s converted to reconnaissance configuration, and in June 1956, 115 became a fully independent squadron. Commanded by Major Eli Eron, the new unit was based at Tel Nof
. It was soon bolstered by three additional PR.16s and three Gloster Meteor
T.7s.
As Middle East
tensions rose in the mid-1950s, 115 squadron operations were stepped up. It carried out reconnaissance missions throughout the region, flying as far as Iraq and Libya. Intelligence gathered during these missions proved valuable not only during the 1956 Suez Crisis
, but in subsequent wars as well. In the run-up to Suez Crisis itself, the squadron gathered information on Egyptian forces and their dispositions in the Sinai, while during the war it provided much-needed intelligence on enemy activity.
The squadron was disbanded in November 1958 with the withdrawal of the Mosquito from service. Its Meteors were allocated to other squadrons.
squadron. Its first three jets arrived at the port of Ashdod on March 20, and on March 28 the squadron flew its first flight. It soon achieved operational capability and on April 22 saw its first combat sortie in the ongoing War of Attrition
, against a radar station in Jordan
. In July it participated in operation Boxer
, during which one of its aircraft was hit but managed to make a forced landing at Rephidim
. The squadron also participated in the Priha operations
, while during operation Rhodes
, the January 1970 assault on the island of Shadwan
, a squadron A-4 sunk an Egyptian torpedo boat. Altogether 115 Squadron flew about 1,000 sorties throughout the war.
Initially operating the A-4H, in 1972 the squadron made the conversion to the A-4N Skyhawk II. It was still flying both models, however, when the Yom Kippur War
broke out in October 1973. On October 3 the Squadron had lost its commanding officer, Ami Gadish, when his aircraft crashed during a training sortie. On Friday, October 5, Giora Romm
took command of the squadron, despite having never flown the Skyhawk nor serving with the unit. War broke out the very next day, and Romm's first flight was a combat sortie targeting Egyptian troops crossing the Suez Canal
, Romm familiarizing himself with the aircraft en route to the target.
115 Squadron flew all types of attack missions during the Yom Kippur War, from close air support
(CAS) to air base strikes and SEAD
. The squadron suffered its first fatalities of the war on October 7, when Shimon Ash went missing during a strike against Egyptian anti-aircraft artillery, while Israel Rozenblum was killed on the Golan Heights. Two more aircraft was lost on the following day, both on the Egyptian front, with Zvi Bashan killed and Zvi Rozen becoming a prisoner of war. Another pilot, Mario Shaked, was lost on October 9, and two more aircraft lost on October 11, Yizhak Ofer killed on the Golan Heights and Schneider becoming a POW. These were the last of 115 Squadron's losses during the war, out of 750 sorties flown, a loss rate of 0.9 percent.
The squadron was back in action pounding Palestinian positions in southern Lebanon during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and saw extensive action during Operation Peace for Galilee, the 1982 invasion of Lebanon
. On June 6, 1982, it lost one of its aircraft while on a strike near Beaufort Castle
, pilot Aharon Achiaz falling into Palestinian captivity. The squadron relocated to Nevatim in 1984, continuing to fly sporadic attacks against Lebanese targets during the subsequent decade, flying 38 sorties during Operation Accountability
of April 1993. It was disbanded on July 21, 1994, with some of its aircraft going into storage while others were dispersed among remaining IAF A-4 Squadrons.
Modelled on USAF aggressor squadrons, the unit is also offering its services to other nations. In May 2006 it trained with the Massachusetts Air National Guard
's 101st Fighter Squadron, and in 2008 the squadron provided desert training for 55 Czech Air Force
pilots prior to their deployment to Afghanistan
. As a tribute to Czech military assistance to Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, the training session was named "Etzion", once the codename for the Czech airfield at Žatec
from which a great deal of aircraft and material were dispatched to Israel. In early December 2010, 115 Squadron hosted Italian Air Force
Panavia Tornado
s at Ovda, conducting a week-long joint training session.
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
's aggressor squadron
Aggressor squadron
An aggressor squadron or adversary squadron is a squadron that is trained to act as an opposing force in military wargames. Aggressor squadrons use enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures to give a realistic simulation of air combat...
. Based at Ovda, it is the sole IAF squadron to operate fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and also ground-based assets.
Formation
The squadron was established on July 8, 1954 as a semi-autonomous unit of 109 Squadron, specializing in photo-reconnaissance flights. Commanded by Captain Azriel Ronen, the squadron initially operated 4 de Havilland MosquitoDe Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
PR.16s out of Hatzor Airbase
Hatzor Airbase
Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base , also titled Kanaf 4 is an Israeli Air Force military air base, located in central Israel, near kibbutz Hatzor after which it is named...
. These were soon augmented by three Mosquito NF.30s converted to reconnaissance configuration, and in June 1956, 115 became a fully independent squadron. Commanded by Major Eli Eron, the new unit was based at Tel Nof
Tel Nof Airbase
Tel Nof Israeli Air Force , also known as Air Force Base 8, is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force. Tel Nof is located near Rehovot, Israel.-History:...
. It was soon bolstered by three additional PR.16s and three Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
T.7s.
As Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
tensions rose in the mid-1950s, 115 squadron operations were stepped up. It carried out reconnaissance missions throughout the region, flying as far as Iraq and Libya. Intelligence gathered during these missions proved valuable not only during the 1956 Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, but in subsequent wars as well. In the run-up to Suez Crisis itself, the squadron gathered information on Egyptian forces and their dispositions in the Sinai, while during the war it provided much-needed intelligence on enemy activity.
The squadron was disbanded in November 1958 with the withdrawal of the Mosquito from service. Its Meteors were allocated to other squadrons.
Flying the A-4 Skyhawk
115 Squadron was reformed in January 1969 at Tel Nof, as the IAF's third A-4 SkyhawkA-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
squadron. Its first three jets arrived at the port of Ashdod on March 20, and on March 28 the squadron flew its first flight. It soon achieved operational capability and on April 22 saw its first combat sortie in the ongoing War of Attrition
War of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
, against a radar station in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. In July it participated in operation Boxer
Operation Boxer
Operation Boxer was an aerial offensive undertaken by the Israeli Air Force along the Suez Canal in July 1969. The first major IAF operation since the 1967 Six Day War, the operation signaled a new phase in the War of Attrition.-Background:...
, during which one of its aircraft was hit but managed to make a forced landing at Rephidim
Bir Gifgafa Airfield
Bir Gifgafa is an airfield in the Sinai, 90 km east of the Suez Canal. During the 1960s and 1970s it played a significant role in Arab-Israeli wars, at different times serving both Egypt and Israel....
. The squadron also participated in the Priha operations
Operation Priha
The Priha Operations were a series of strikes undertaken by the Israeli Air Force during the War of Attrition. Taking place between January and April 1970, the operations consisted of 118 sorties against targets in the Egyptian heartland...
, while during operation Rhodes
Operation Rhodes
Operation Rhodes was an Israeli heliborne raid against the Egyptian island of Shadwan on 22 January 1970, during the War of Attrition. It was carried out by Israeli paratroopers and Shayetet 13 naval commandos, who took control of the island for over a day before leaving with 62 captured Egyptian...
, the January 1970 assault on the island of Shadwan
Shadwan
Shadwan is a barren rocky island in the mouth of the Gulf of Suez in the northern Red Sea. Situated some 20 miles from Sharm el-Sheikh, the island is in length, and between 3 and 5 km wide. It was formerly also called Shaker Island...
, a squadron A-4 sunk an Egyptian torpedo boat. Altogether 115 Squadron flew about 1,000 sorties throughout the war.
Initially operating the A-4H, in 1972 the squadron made the conversion to the A-4N Skyhawk II. It was still flying both models, however, when the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
broke out in October 1973. On October 3 the Squadron had lost its commanding officer, Ami Gadish, when his aircraft crashed during a training sortie. On Friday, October 5, Giora Romm
Giora Romm
Giora Romm is a former deputy commander of the Israeli Air Force , Israel's former military attaché in the United States and the current director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Romm was the Israeli Air Force's very first jet ace, scoring five kills during the 1967 Six Day War...
took command of the squadron, despite having never flown the Skyhawk nor serving with the unit. War broke out the very next day, and Romm's first flight was a combat sortie targeting Egyptian troops crossing the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, Romm familiarizing himself with the aircraft en route to the target.
115 Squadron flew all types of attack missions during the Yom Kippur War, from close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
(CAS) to air base strikes and SEAD
SEAD
Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses , also known as "Wild Weasel" and "Iron Hand" operations in the United States, are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses , primarily in the first hours of an attack.One fourth of American combat sorties in recent conflicts have been SEAD...
. The squadron suffered its first fatalities of the war on October 7, when Shimon Ash went missing during a strike against Egyptian anti-aircraft artillery, while Israel Rozenblum was killed on the Golan Heights. Two more aircraft was lost on the following day, both on the Egyptian front, with Zvi Bashan killed and Zvi Rozen becoming a prisoner of war. Another pilot, Mario Shaked, was lost on October 9, and two more aircraft lost on October 11, Yizhak Ofer killed on the Golan Heights and Schneider becoming a POW. These were the last of 115 Squadron's losses during the war, out of 750 sorties flown, a loss rate of 0.9 percent.
The squadron was back in action pounding Palestinian positions in southern Lebanon during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and saw extensive action during Operation Peace for Galilee, the 1982 invasion of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. On June 6, 1982, it lost one of its aircraft while on a strike near Beaufort Castle
Beaufort Castle, Lebanon
Beaufort or Belfort The castle was named "bel fort" or "beau fort" by the Crusaders who occupied the castle in the twelfth century. Its Arabic name Qala'at ash-Shqif means Castle of the High Rock...
, pilot Aharon Achiaz falling into Palestinian captivity. The squadron relocated to Nevatim in 1984, continuing to fly sporadic attacks against Lebanese targets during the subsequent decade, flying 38 sorties during Operation Accountability
Operation Accountability
On July 25, 1993, Israeli forces launched a week-long attack against Lebanon named Operation Accountability in Israel and the Seven-Day War in Lebanon...
of April 1993. It was disbanded on July 21, 1994, with some of its aircraft going into storage while others were dispersed among remaining IAF A-4 Squadrons.
Aggressor Squadron
In March 2005 the squadron was reformed at Ovda as the IAF's Advanced Training Center, the initiative of former IAF commander-in-chief Eliezer Shkedy. Operating both F-16s and AH-1 Cobras, the unit is tasked with emulating enemy forces and tactics, creating scenarios as close as possible to what pilots may face in war. Holding training sessions for IAF combat squadrons, the squadron also operates a surface-to-air section, simulating enemy air defences. It is not an operational unit, though all its pilots have emergency postings and its aircraft are equipped to serve as combat aircraft in the event of war.Modelled on USAF aggressor squadrons, the unit is also offering its services to other nations. In May 2006 it trained with the Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
's 101st Fighter Squadron, and in 2008 the squadron provided desert training for 55 Czech Air Force
Czech Air Force
The Czech Air Force is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The Air Force, with the Land Forces, comprises the Joint Forces, the main combat power of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic...
pilots prior to their deployment to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. As a tribute to Czech military assistance to Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, the training session was named "Etzion", once the codename for the Czech airfield at Žatec
Žatec
Žatec is an old town in the Czech Republic, in Louny District, Ústí nad Labem Region. It has a population of 19,813 .The earliest historical reference to Sacz is in the Latin chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg of 1004. During the 11th century it belonged to the Vršovci - a powerful Czech...
from which a great deal of aircraft and material were dispatched to Israel. In early December 2010, 115 Squadron hosted Italian Air Force
Italian Air Force
The Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
Panavia Tornado
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
s at Ovda, conducting a week-long joint training session.