The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Its current Commander in Chief is Aluf

Aluf

Aluf is the term used for General and Admiral in the Israel Defense Forces . In addition to the Aluf rank itself, there are four other ranks which are derivatives of the word...

 Ido Nehoshtan

Ido Nehoshtan

Aluf Ido Nehoshtan, also Nehushtan is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and the current Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force. He is the former head of the Planning Directorate...

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The Israeli Air Force states the following as its functions:

1. Defence of Israel's airspace the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) zone of operations.
2. Attaining aerial superiority over the IDF's zone of operations
3. Participating in combat operations on both land and sea
4. Striking targets deep inside enemy territory
5. Creation of the aerial intelligence picture and participation in the formation and evaluation of Israel's overall intelligence assessment
6. Transportation of troops, equipment and weapons systems
7. Execution of search, rescue and aerial evacuation missions
8. Execution of special operations
9. Developement of aerial power within the framework of the IDF.

Preceded by the Sherut Avir

Sherut Avir

The Sherut Avir was the air force of the Haganah and the forerunner of the Israeli Air Force.-Founding:The Sherut Avir was founded in November 1947, just two weeks prior to the passing of the 1947 UN Partition Plan which proposed the division of Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state.It was at...

, the air wing of the Haganah

Haganah

Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...

, the Israeli Air Force was officially formed on May 28, 1948, shortly after Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

 declared statehood and found itself under immediate attack.