Hawker Hunters
Lebanon's Hawker Hunter jets, much like the rest of its grounded fixed-wing jets, are stored at Rayak. In 2007 the LAF begun the process of restoring the Hunters to airworthy condition. Initially these were to be used against the Fatah al-Islam terrorist group which the army was battling during the Nahr el-Bared Operation, yet this operation ended before the air force was able to complete their restoration. During November 2008, the air force successfully made three hunters operational, and displayed them during Lebanon's 65th independence anniversary on November 22, 2008. The base has always been considered to be the home of those hunters, however during the eighties the hunters had to move to Hallat strip due to the close proximity of the air base to Syria. The hunters later returned to the base, yet were grounded during 1994. All fights during 2008, after restoration, were carried from this base.
Read more about this topic: Rayak Air Base
Famous quotes containing the word hunters:
“Runs falls rises stumbles on from darkness into darkness
and the darkness thicketed with shapes of terror
and the hunters pursuing and the hounds pursuing
and the night cold and the night long and the river
to cross and the jack-muh-lanterns beckoning beckoning
and blackness ahead”
—Robert Earl Hayden (1913–1980)