Mc Donnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II Non-U.S. Operators - Israel

Israel

Israel first expressed interest in the F-4 in 1965, but the U.S. was unwilling to provide them at that time. However, due to the embargo imposed by France after the Israeli preemptive strike during the 1967 Six Day War, the U.S. government reconsidered and decided to offer the Israelis the aircraft.

The first aircraft delivered were F-4Es, provided under the "Peace Echo" program, authorized on 7 January 1968, by president Lyndon Johnson, and supported by Senator Robert Kennedy. About 220 F-4Es and RF-4Es were delivered to Israel between 1969 and 1976 under U.S. aid programs, and served with the Tsvah Haganah le Israel/Heyl Ha'Avir (Israeli Air Force). The F-4E was known as Kurnass (Heavy Hammer) in Israeli service while the RF-4E was called Orev (Raven).

Formal acceptance of the first F-4Es came on 5 September 1969, with Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan present for the ceremony. By 22 October, the new aircraft were in operation, attacking Egyptian targets. On 11 November 1969 an F-4E first shot down a MiG-21, while on 2 April 1970, the first F-4 was downed by a MiG. Egyptian fighters had a hard time dealing with the F-4s, and their SA-2 Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) were not effective at low altitudes. To address the problem, SA-3s were shipped to Egypt, along with up to 5,000 Soviet advisers. In a fierce aerial battle on 30 July 1970, four Phantoms baited the Egyptian MiGs which this time were Soviet-manned. Up to five MiGs were shot down when eight Israeli Mirages, flying at low level, jumped them, achieving complete surprise. Late June and early July 1970 was a difficult time for the new F-4s, with two shot down by SAMs on 30 June, another on 5 July and two on 18 July.

A total of 24 Phantoms were delivered under Peace Echo II and III. Operation Night Light involved the loan of two RF-4Cs to the IDF while they were waiting for their order for six RF-4Es to be delivered. Operation Peace Patch involved another batch of 12 Phantoms, delivered in 1971.

Israeli F-4Es scored 116.5 aerial victories against Arab aircraft, including two Su-7s shot down on 9 September 1972 and a Libyan Boeing 727 in January 1973.

Peace Echo IV brought another 52 F-4s to the IDF, 24 of which were ex-USAF. These were delivered between April 1972 and October 1973, when the Yom Kippur War broke out. At that time there were 122 F-4E and 6 RF-4Es in service with the IDF.

Israeli Phantoms scored 11 air victories during this period although several were lost, mainly to SAMs, but above all they inflicted heavy damage on Egyptian land forces during the War of Attrition.