Amir Nachumi
Encyclopedia
Amir Nachumi is a retired Israeli Air Force
Brigadier General who in the course of his career shot down 14 enemy aircraft, making him one of Israel's top flying ace
s. He scored 7 aerial kills in the F-4 Phantom II
during the Yom Kippur War
, 7 in the F-16 Fighting Falcon
in fighting over Lebanon
, and participated in Operation Opera
, the 1981 raid that destroyed an Iraqi
nuclear reactor.
. Discharged in 1964, Nachumi entered the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, graduating in 1967 with a degree in chemistry and physics. Shortly before completing his studies, he was called up to serve in the Six Day War, fighting in the AMX-13
.
Following the losses suffered in the war and the subsequent expansion of the IAF, Nachumi was allowed to re-enlist with the IAF flight school. On November 21, 1968, he completed flight course 57 and began flying Dassault Ouragan
s with 113 Squadron out of Hatzor
. Nachumi flew 50 combat missions on the Ouragan during the War of Attrition
and later returned to the IAF flight school as an instructor. In 1971 he converted to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, which he flew with 107 Squadron.
air force base, near Sharm el-Sheikh
at the southern tip of the Sinai. Neither pilots were qualified as pair leaders, but on the morning of October 6, when it became clear that war was imminent, Nachumi was promoted on the phone by squadron leader Yiftah Spector.
The two Phantom crews (Nachumi/Yossi Yavin and Daniel Shaki/David Regev) were sitting in their aircraft when war broke out at 14:00, spearheaded by an Egyptian aerial strike against Israeli positions in the Sinai. Radar had detected Egyptian Air Force
formations heading for Ofir but the two aircraft were not scrambled yet. Despite orders to the contrary, Nachumi scrambled the two jets himself:
28 EAF MiG-17s and their MiG-21 escorts had arrived to attack Ofir and had Nachumi not made the decision to scramble, the Phantoms would not have been able to take off from the damaged runway. He jettisoned his external fuel tanks and the two aircraft separated, each going after his own quarries. Nachumi had managed to down two MiG-17s using AIM-9 Sidewinder
s and hit two more with his cannon, when one of his engines suffered a compressor stall. He relit it and continued chasing the MiGs, eventually shooting down two more, both with the AIM-9D. Shaki and Regev had downed 3 other aircraft and both aircraft landed on the damaged runway, avoiding bomb craters and debris. After the war, all four airmen received Israel's third highest decoration, the Medal of Distinguished Service
, for their conduct during the battle.
By the war's end Nachumi had also become the IAF's top F-4 Phantom ace, with 7 confirmed kills. He scored his fifth kill on October 13 when 107 squadron struck the Syrian air base at Saiqal. A MiG-21 was attempting to down his wingman when Nachumi manoeuvred behind it and fired an AIM-9D from 1300 meters away. He scored two more kills on the following day, October 14. 107 squadron was tasked with attacking the Egyptian airfield at Tanta
, but Nachumi and wingman Meir Most were intercepted en route by a pair of MiG-21s from El Mansoura. After shooting down a MiG that had gone after Most, Nachumi battled with the other aircraft which eventually crashed into the Mediterranean.
, the IAF's second F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron, which formally opened at Ramat David
on September 28, 1980.
On June 7, 1981, the Israeli Air Force carried out Operation Opera
, when 8 Israeli F-16s destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad
. Nachumi was the leader of the second four-ship formation to attack the reactor, flying F-16 '228'. A few weeks later, on July 14, a flight of Syrian MiG-21s attempted to intercept Israeli A-4 Skyhawk
s over Lebanon but were intercepted by their 110 Squadron escorts. Nachumi shot down a single MiG to become the world's first pilot to shoot down an enemy fighter in the F-16.
Over the course of the 1982 Lebanon War
, 110 Squadron was credited with 23 aerial kills, including 6 fighters shot down by Nachumi himself, all using the AIM-9L. Three of the kills were scored on the same sortie:
. Four years later he was appointed commander of Ramat David and in 1989 promoted to Brigadier General
(Tat-Aluf) and assigned command of the IAF's Air Group, responsible for operations and training. In this capacity
Nachumi commanded the air element of Operation Solomon
, the 1991 airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Nachumi flew in an IAF C-130 Hercules
to Addis Ababa
and personally oversaw various logistic elements of the operation.
Amir Nachumi took his last flight on the F-16 on June 26, 1995, flying 110 squadron's F-16C '329'. He retired from the IDF in 1996 but continued to fly with the IAF as a volunteer instructor at the flight academy until April 2005 when forced to retire by new IAF regulations limiting pilot age.
.
He is married to Naomi and a father of three.
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...
Brigadier General who in the course of his career shot down 14 enemy aircraft, making him one of Israel's top flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
s. He scored 7 aerial kills in the F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
during 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...
, 7 in the F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
in fighting over 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...
, and participated in Operation Opera
Operation Opera
Operation Babylon was a surprise Israeli air strike carried out on June 7, 1981, that destroyed a nuclear reactor under construction 17 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, Iraq....
, the 1981 raid that destroyed an Iraqi
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
nuclear reactor.
Military service
Born in Jerusalem in 1945, Amir Nachumi was drafted into the Israel Defence Forces in 1962. Failing to complete IAF flight course 44, Nachumi joined the IDF Armored Corps with which he completed his mandatory service, attaining the rank of staff sergeantStaff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
. Discharged in 1964, Nachumi entered the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, graduating in 1967 with a degree in chemistry and physics. Shortly before completing his studies, he was called up to serve in the Six Day War, fighting in the AMX-13
AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
.
Following the losses suffered in the war and the subsequent expansion of the IAF, Nachumi was allowed to re-enlist with the IAF flight school. On November 21, 1968, he completed flight course 57 and began flying Dassault Ouragan
Dassault Ouragan
The Dassault M.D.450 Ouragan was the first French-designed jet fighter-bomber to enter production, playing a key role in resurgence of the French aviation industry after World War II. The Ouragan was operated by France, Israel, India and El Salvador...
s with 113 Squadron out of Hatzor
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...
. Nachumi flew 50 combat missions on the Ouragan during the 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...
and later returned to the IAF flight school as an instructor. In 1971 he converted to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, which he flew with 107 Squadron.
Yom Kippur War
In early October 1973 Nachumi was among two F-4 Phantom crews on quick reaction alert duty at OfirSharm el-Sheikh International Airport
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport , formerly known as Ophira International Airport, is an international airport located in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt...
air force base, near Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
at the southern tip of the Sinai. Neither pilots were qualified as pair leaders, but on the morning of October 6, when it became clear that war was imminent, Nachumi was promoted on the phone by squadron leader Yiftah Spector.
The two Phantom crews (Nachumi/Yossi Yavin and Daniel Shaki/David Regev) were sitting in their aircraft when war broke out at 14:00, spearheaded by an Egyptian aerial strike against Israeli positions in the Sinai. Radar had detected Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
formations heading for Ofir but the two aircraft were not scrambled yet. Despite orders to the contrary, Nachumi scrambled the two jets himself:
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
s and hit two more with his cannon, when one of his engines suffered a compressor stall. He relit it and continued chasing the MiGs, eventually shooting down two more, both with the AIM-9D. Shaki and Regev had downed 3 other aircraft and both aircraft landed on the damaged runway, avoiding bomb craters and debris. After the war, all four airmen received Israel's third highest decoration, the Medal of Distinguished Service
Medal of Distinguished Service
The Medal of Distinguished Service is an Israeli military decoration.- Overview :The medal has instituted in 1970 by act of law in the Knesset and could also be awarded also for actions performed before 1970....
, for their conduct during the battle.
By the war's end Nachumi had also become the IAF's top F-4 Phantom ace, with 7 confirmed kills. He scored his fifth kill on October 13 when 107 squadron struck the Syrian air base at Saiqal. A MiG-21 was attempting to down his wingman when Nachumi manoeuvred behind it and fired an AIM-9D from 1300 meters away. He scored two more kills on the following day, October 14. 107 squadron was tasked with attacking the Egyptian airfield at Tanta
Tanta
Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria...
, but Nachumi and wingman Meir Most were intercepted en route by a pair of MiG-21s from El Mansoura. After shooting down a MiG that had gone after Most, Nachumi battled with the other aircraft which eventually crashed into the Mediterranean.
Opera and Lebanon
Seven years after joining the squadron, in June 1978 Nachumi was promoted to 107 squadron leader. Two years later he was selected to lead 110 Squadron110 Squadron (Israel)
The 110 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as the Knights of The North Squadron, is an F-16C fighter squadron based at Ramat David Airbase.-References:...
, the IAF's second F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron, which formally opened at Ramat David
Ramat David Airbase
Ramat David Israeli Air Force Base is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force, located southeast of Haifa, close to kibbutz Ramat David and Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley...
on September 28, 1980.
Operation Opera
Operation Babylon was a surprise Israeli air strike carried out on June 7, 1981, that destroyed a nuclear reactor under construction 17 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, Iraq....
, when 8 Israeli F-16s destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Nachumi was the leader of the second four-ship formation to attack the reactor, flying F-16 '228'. A few weeks later, on July 14, a flight of Syrian MiG-21s attempted to intercept Israeli A-4 Skyhawk
A-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...
s over Lebanon but were intercepted by their 110 Squadron escorts. Nachumi shot down a single MiG to become the world's first pilot to shoot down an enemy fighter in the F-16.
Over the course of the 1982 Lebanon War
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
, 110 Squadron was credited with 23 aerial kills, including 6 fighters shot down by Nachumi himself, all using the AIM-9L. Three of the kills were scored on the same sortie:
Later service
Now a 14-kills ace, Nachumi completed his tenure at 110 squadron in April 1983 and transferred to the IAF's Air Intelligence DirectorateAir Intelligence Directorate
The Israeli Air Intelligence Group is a unit of the Israel Defense Forces Air Force. Like other IDF intelligence gathering bodies, it is professionally subordinate to the IDF's Intelligence Directorate....
. Four years later he was appointed commander of Ramat David and in 1989 promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
(Tat-Aluf) and assigned command of the IAF's Air Group, responsible for operations and training. In this capacity
Nachumi commanded the air element of Operation Solomon
Operation Solomon
Operation Solomon was a 1991 covert Israeli military operation to take Ethiopian Jews to Israel.In 1991, the sitting Ethiopian government of Mengistu Haile Mariam was close to being toppled with the recent military successes of Eritrean and Tigrean rebels, threatening Ethiopia with dangerous...
, the 1991 airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Nachumi flew in an IAF C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
and personally oversaw various logistic elements of the operation.
Amir Nachumi took his last flight on the F-16 on June 26, 1995, flying 110 squadron's F-16C '329'. He retired from the IDF in 1996 but continued to fly with the IAF as a volunteer instructor at the flight academy until April 2005 when forced to retire by new IAF regulations limiting pilot age.
Civilian career
After leaving the military Nachumi was president and CEO of TIL Defense Systems. He was later CEO of Triphase Technologies Ltd., an investment company, and then manager of GlassCeraX, a company dealing with extreme performance material. Besides his chemistry degree from the Hebrew University, he also holds an MBA from Tel Aviv UniversityTel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
.
He is married to Naomi and a father of three.