Rolling Thunder

“The Israeli Air Force’s beginnings are in the establishment of the Sherut Avir, or Air Service, by a small group of pilots operating a handful of outdated planes before 1948. Today’s IAF – Heyl Ha’avir in Hebrew – is a vastly experienced, war hardened air force, whose operations in wartime and between the wars, in dogfights and strategic attacks, in search and rescue under fire and humanitarian missions, have earned it a place of honor among the world’s air forces.” (www.iaf.org.il)

We recently traveled to Hatzerim Air Force Base to witness the bi-annual graduation of the Israel Air Force Flight Academy. The graduates include cadets who have successfully completed their training and will join the IAF ranks as fighter pilots, navigators, helicopter pilots and transport pilots. We were guests of Lt. Col. (Reserve) Danny Grossman, one of the few U.S. Air Force pilots who have flown fighters in both American and Israeli air forces. In the early days of the IAF, several American, British, and South Africans volunteered to fly in Israel, but Danny is the only American fighter pilot in the modern era to make aliyah (immigrate) after having successfully completed a lengthy career in both the USAF and the IAF. Danny received the IAF Commander’s Medal for a mission over Iraq some 28 years ago and now is Israel Director of the American Jewish Congress.

Following Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948, the IAF was established. “It was assembled from a hodgepodge collection of civilian aircraft commandeered or donated and converted to military use. A variety of obsolete and surplus ex-World War II combat aircraft were quickly sourced by various means to supplement this fleet.” (www.wikipedia.org)

By an ironic twist of fate, the first bona-fide fighters flown by the IAF were Avia S- 199s, a Czech version of the famed Messerschmidt, the symbol of the German Luftwaffe. On May 29 1948, only two weeks after Israel’s declared its statehood, the first four Avias (Messerschmitdts) – on their maiden flight! – halted an Egyptian column of some five hundred armored vehicles at a demolished bridge near Ashdod, only twenty miles south of Tel Aviv. That first mission was led by Lou Lenart, the only pilot in the fledgling IAF who had seen combat duty, having served with the U.S. Marines during WWII. Also on that mission was Ezer Weizman, destined to become head of the IAF and in due course, President of Israel. From 1948 until today, the IAF has not only protected Israel’s skies, it has changed the course of Middle East politics.

Today it’s taken for granted that the IAF is a premier air force and perhaps, pound for pound, the best air force in the world. What makes the IAF so great is its fantastic manpower, top of the line planes, and Israel’s vaunted defense technology, which makes its way into all IAF air craft. Presently, the IAF is considering ordering up to 100 of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets at a cost of some 5 billion dollars to be delivered later in the decade. But in addition to the huge price tag, the US refuses to allow Israel to make heavy modifications to the F-35 to incorporate Israeli electronics and weapons systems. (England, Australia and a few other countries have also requested to have their own exclusive systems on the F-35.) I think that this problem must be understood with the knowledge that Israel is one of the world’s biggest arms suppliers. That said, Israel’s sales are dwarfed by America, the world’s largest arms seller and Israel’s major arms supplier. There’s no doubt that, from a competitive standpoint, America is ambivalent about Israel’s prowess in advanced weapons development. This is part of the reason it grants huge sums of money annually to Israel, on the condition that the funds be used to purchase American-made equipment. A consequence of this policy is less research and development money spent in Israel.

The graduation ceremony is held at the large Hatzerim Air Base near Be’ersheba. Known as the cream of the crop of Israel’s recruits, the graduates at this winter’s ceremony are truly the best of the best. These young men (and a rare female) are chosen from thousands of would-be pilots who are invited to take the initial test and then have to pass other psychological and endurance tests. The final step before entering the three-year pilot’s course is to be selected after completing a six-day “gibush,” an extraordinarily hard test of an individual’s strength, endurance and ability to work as part of a team. During the course itself, the vast majority of potential recruits are dropped and instead serve in other excellent units of the army or air force. Those who remain are assigned to one of the three categories of pilots or become navigators. In addition, they complete studies for a B.A. or B.S. degree, making their initial commitment nearly ten years, far longer than the regular three-year period of service. Because of their advanced training and exceptional character and aptitude, pilot’s course graduates have a great stepping stone to their future success.

We were among a large crowd of well-wishers who thronged the stands on the edge of one of Israel’s largest airfields. Among the crowd were many groups who identified themselves as friends and family of particular graduates by wearing identical outfits, usually sweatshirts or T-shirts. Others sported colored umbrellas, large banners, and – our favorite – dozens of enthusiasts wearing red wigs. The graduating cadets marched onto the field wearing, for the first time, dressblue uniforms, accompanied by the remaining cadets in the course, the Academy’s color guard and the IDF band. There were several speeches. The class valedictorian received his wings from the Secretary of Defense Barak. Then, the outstanding graduates from each sector of the course were honored. Finally the IAF Commander Nechustan personally presented each graduate with his wings.

After receiving their coveted wings, the pilots and navigators were dismissed, and they enthusiastically hugged and high-fived each other in an obvious display of camaraderie and relief. In time-honored tradition, the graduates removed their officers’caps and flung them into the air in unison, as the IAF acrobatic air team streaked overhead, opening the air show part of the program. In addition to the aerobatic team, which entertained the crowd, several aircraft from the early years of the IAF (which are meticulously preserved in the nearby Air Force Museum), were flown by veteran pilots. There was also a duo of Black Hawk helicopters doing stunts, and more flyovers by the four-plane aerobatic team. Without a doubt, the highlight of the air show was the performance of the thunderous F-15I. The F-15I is the tailor-made Israeli version of the advanced F-15 Strike Eagle, which entered the IAF in 1998 and serves as one of the most advanced aircraft in the region. As this formidable fighter performed its low-level maneuvers not far over our heads, it was easy to understand why the IAF has given the F-151 the nickname “Ra’am,” Hebrew for thunder. There is nothing to compare to these mighty warplanes, bristling with weapons and sounding like rolling thunder.

On the way home we gave Lt. D., a young air force officer, a ride home. D. went to the same high school in Kfar Sava as one of our sons. This young man is an “atuda,” a recruit chosen by the IAF to receive a technical degree at university in preparation for his active service. Having completed his degree and becoming an officer, D. now heads one of the high-tech units that helps to ensure that the IAF retains its outstanding position among its peers. D. delighted us with many anecdotes about the IAF and the pilot’s course regimen. Being able to get him home quickly for his weekend off was a great ending to a very inspiring and informative afternoon.

Stephen Kramer resided and worked in the Atlantic City area until 1991, when he moved to Israel with his wife, Michal Langweiler, and two sons. He can be reached at Sjk1@jhu.edu.