Guardians of the Sky

The hardened aircraft shelter No.52 at Tel-Nof airbase houses a forty year-old F-15 fighter. It carries a rare insignia for the Israeli Air Force of 2014: five red circles, denoting five kills – five enemy aircraft shot down.

"This aircraft shot down five enemy aircraft during Operation Peace for Galilee," recounts captain Efi, training commander at the IAF's 133rd squadron, the "Twin Tail Knights" squadron. "It shot down Syrian MiG fighters in 1982. The squadron as a whole shot down more than 40 enemy aircraft without sustaining any losses. The history of the squadron, since its establishment in 1976, includes no operational losses. The systems here are very reliable and the aircraft has two engines."

Capt. Efi commands the training activity at the 133rd squadron, the Twin Tail Knights squadron. Born in Raanana, he is 28, married and currently lives in Tel-Aviv.

"We have just completed a one-year term at the squadron where the young guys completed their operational training. At the IAF flying course they had acquired the basic skills of flying an aircraft, and then spent a year at the operational training course. During that time they learned the basics of air combat, tactical flying and formation combat maneuvers. Following that they came here, to the squadron, after having been selected to the various squadrons of the IAF, and those who ended up here, at the F-15 'Baz' squadron, practice a variety of mission profiles. In fact, up until now, as far as the IAF is concerned, they have not been qualified to do anything, even after four years. This week was the week during which they attained operational competence and now they can take part in the operational alert duty cycle. Up until now they have only been qualified to stand guard at the airbase gate."

Has the 133rd squadron, in view of the fact that it flies forty year-old aircraft, been affected in any way by the OrBat changes the IDF Chief of Staff announced, which include the IAF?

"Nothing will change at the 133rd (squadron). There were squadron demobilizations and unifications at the Nevatim airbase. Our aircraft are intended to continue flying for many years. They are fully capable of operating for twenty more years, despite the fact that they had arrived here in the 1970s. Only the actual aircraft – the chassis, the airframe – is forty years old. The entire inside of the aircraft has changed: the avionics, the computers, the weapon systems. Everything we have is the state-of-the-art and that gives us the advantage we seek in the theaters with which we are dealing."

Do you, as a pilot, ever feel – while airborne – that you are flying a 40 year-old aircraft?

"You do not feel it. Inside the aircraft you may still see some of the old gauges, but its heart, its systems, its weaponry, are all the state-of-the-art. The engine systems are still old, although the engines have been upgraded. Admittedly, it is not the glass cockpit of the F-35 and it may look old, but when you look inside you understand how advanced this aircraft really is."

How do you make the new pilots operational?

"The very heart of this squadron's mission is defending the national airspace. We practice all of the operations we may encounter: aerial terrorism, incoming aircraft from enemy countries – that is what we train for. At the end of this process, a pilot may be on Scrambling Alert and if the siren should sound, he will know how to scramble and perform all of the necessary operations. We took one week and had everything concentrated for them: many flights, many schedules, we push them to the limit so they may be ready for any scenario. They are mature, serious individuals. What matters is their professionalism and familiarity with the missions at hand. One of the primary elements is uncertainty: running to the aircraft without knowing what the mission will be. This has been a very busy week during which we pushed them to the limit, even when it was hard and when they were tired. We expect them to become airborne as quickly as possible, understand what the mission is, operate the aircraft and the weapon systems and be ready to switch between missions very quickly."

What are the scenarios you simulate for them?

"Incoming enemy UAVs, for example. Following each incident, the IAF conducts a debriefing and we are not ashamed to speak about the mistakes made, and then work on the aspects to be emphasized in future incidents."

Are the aircraft ready to scramble 24/7 owing to the nature of the mission?

"Sometimes we are ready on the ground. If there is a specific alert and something has been detected by the IAF systems, they will scramble us."

The last two interceptions of the IAF were not executed by the 133rd squadron. These incidents involved two Hezbollah UAVs that entered the Israeli airspace from Lebanon. One was shot down using an air-to-air missile above the Yatir forest, and the other was shot down by a Patriot surface-to-air missile over the Mediterranean Sea.

"It was not our squadron that shot them down, but that is one of the mission types assigned to the squadron," says capt. Efi, somewhat sadly. 

Is it frustrating for an interception squadron when someone else carries out the actual interception at the critical moment?

"We always want to be in the forefront and if we have to, we will be there, but it depends on the sector and who is on alert at a given moment. Sometimes it is also a matter of luck."

At this moment, maj. Amit, the deputy squadron commander, interjects: "I can tell you that the overall picture of the IAF is excellent and our capabilities are excellent – both our surveillance capabilities and our fire capabilities. This is not the problem. We are capable, relatively very promptly, of delivering massive firepower at any element that enters our national airspace. At this point, the command echelon needs to make a decision as to which firepower element should be employed. This happens at a higher echelon. In my opinion, this should be the main lesson drawn from those incidents. Who should select which firepower element to employ and at which point. We can employ firepower at a very early stage, but you also want to learn, along the way, such things as operating patterns, who, where – and you include it in your considerations."

As interceptors, where does the need to deny the Hezbollah a propaganda achievement pursuant to the insertion of UAVs come into your considerations, so that Nasrallah will not be able to claim, in his next speech, that he had flown over Israel and photographed half of the country?

"The propaganda achievement does not enter the cockpit, and for me, in the cockpit, it is of no concern as I am the tactical echelon. As a citizen of the State of Israel I can discuss it, as a political subject. But when I am in the cockpit and I am the firepower element, I strive to reach the situation where I am the firepower element as quickly as I can, and then wait for the order to open fire. There will be very substantial achievements on our side if you wait for a moment. If it is not a situation where the penetrating element is going to do something extremely bad in a moment, then the tactical and intelligence achievements will be accomplished when you have control over the question of when to open fire."

But if Hezbollah has UAVs carrying explosive charges, then the moment they fly over military and civilian targets they can also fly themselves into those targets, Kamikaze style…

"You do not let that happen, whether you have intelligence or whether it is a tactical consideration."

Can you give us an example of a real-life incident where you were scrambled?

"The media and the civilians hear nothing about it. About any of it, not even a negligible percentage. We are busy defending the national airspace every day. While the ground and naval forces patrol the land and sea borders – we defend the national airspace each and every day. The State of Israel possesses several capabilities for defending its national airspace and the aerial command center decides which firepower element should be employed. We run to the aircraft very often, we take off very often, go over to identify anything about which intelligence is available. We are often there beforehand, always ready."

Are you being scrambled to intercept aircraft that test us?

"Deterrence is achieved owing to the fact that we are airborne all the time. IAF trains all the time, day and night, and maintains a constant state of alert. We scramble every day, to make it clear to anyone who approaches that we are there all the time. Since 9/11 there has been a high degree of sensitivity with regard to civilian aircraft. It is enough for a civilian aircraft to veer off course or to conduct itself not according to international aviation procedures, whether it approaches our borders, or fails to communicate over the radio, or anything irregular – we perform a lot of identification missions."

Are we being tested? Is our alertness being tested?

"We have neighbors who have aircraft and if they get close – we will be there."

Maj. Amit, 33, is a 'Kibbutznik' from Ein-HaHoresh. He currently lives on base at Tel-Nof and raises his two children "in all that noise". With regard to what the IAF calls "preparations in the IAF for a strike within the third circuit"– a code name for Iran – he will only adhere to the page of formal messages. "IAF will carry out any mission assigned to it," he says.

What can you say about the strategic role of an F-15 squadron?

"It is no secret that IAF is very active throughout the compass rose and this squadron is at the cutting edge of this activity. You spend many days taking part in such activity."

"This is the first IAF squadron dispatched to execute missions outside the national airspace," says Amit when asked to comment on the possibility of a mission beyond the national boundaries. "Although this aircraft is fairly old, it has been upgraded and now possesses specific capabilities that are even superior to those of the more advanced F-15I, especially with regard to ranges. It possesses capabilities that keep it at the forefront of the IAF's strategic missions. The F-15I has different systems that set it apart as a different aircraft.

"There has been much talk about the performance of the IDF Navy's 13th Flotilla (Naval Commandos) on board the Turkish ship Marmara, with regard to the aspect of promptly understanding the change of mission. We change the mission scenarios for the training pilots so that they may be able to respond to the change in their mission within very short time constants, make a decision within the shortest possible time and emerge victorious. This is what this week has given them: an envelope of uncertainty, with which they had to cope.

"You think you are heading for a strike mission but then you are diverted to an air combat encounter, and halfway through that you are suddenly alerted to an escort mission. At any given moment, you must understand what the mission is, who the enemy is, what intelligence is available, what the enemy aircraft have and what you have. That is what this week aspires for."

Are air combat encounters and dogfights still relevant in 2014?

"Certainly. We have not had air combat encounters for many years, but the IAF's training concept maintains that if you are competent in air combat maneuvers and can win a massive air combat encounter that pushes you to the limit with regard to the pilot's physical capabilities, the capabilities of the aircraft and your attention skills, you will be competent in other missions, such as shooting down UAVs or air-to-ground strikes."

How do you apply in your training activities the lessons drawn from the tragedy of the late pilot Assaf Ramon with regard to G-Lock?

"There is the aspect of observing and maintaining a proper lifestyle: getting enough sleep and eating properly. It is important that everyone be familiar with his own limitations. The pilots learn this about themselves and their limitations. A pilot can reach 9 Gs. You know your limitations very well. You can reach the limit of the aircraft, which is 9 Gs. Before you begin flying high-G aircraft, you train in a centrifugal simulator, where you study your own biology very thoroughly and practice how to deal with it many times.

"When you approach your own limitation, you should let the aircraft go and drop the G force so as not to pass out, and it is not a Boeing passenger aircraft en route to New York. There is no magic here. You have to know how to avoid running headlong into a wall. I can take the aircraft and push it into the tightest turn, but eventually I will pass out. It's my own weight times nine and all of the blood running down into my legs. At some point, it will defeat you."

The Israeli Character

In November 2013, IAF hosted, at the southern Ouvda airbase, an international training exercise of an unprecedented scale. The Blue Flag exercise involved dozens of aircraft from four different air forces: Israel, USA, Italy and Greece. Some 60 fighter aircraft of various types took part in the exercise and practiced a variety of missions: ordnance launches, air combat encounters and other mission types.

What was your role during the Blue Flag exercise?

"Our squadron was assigned to lead the exercise. This squadron always aspires to lead. I spent time with several IAF squadrons, but this is a highly unique squadron. The leaders of the IAF had asked themselves who they wanted to set the standard – and chose us. We had been preparing for the exercise for more than a year: what we want to practice, what the aerial scenario would be and how to debrief the exercise, and here we made several breakthroughs in several fields. We possess international standard debriefing capabilities. At the conclusion of the exercise you sit in the debriefing room and watch a simulation of who flew where, who attacked who – and you can see all sixty aircraft."

An exercise like that that simulated a coalition attack against an enemy country – does it help you in any way?

"For me, personally, it is of no concern. I know how to attack on my own and I know how to attack with partners. This matter is on the level of the Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Beyond that I am unable to address the subject of the third circuit. During the Blue Flag exercise, we wanted to combine strategic level cooperation. The people who came from abroad were in awe of us. We delivered a presentation of the cutting-edge technology of the IAF. IAF achieved very nice results in that exercise. You have to show who you are and what you are in a joint exercise. You show off your strength a lot, but mutual learning is also important."

What did you take with you from that exercise?

"You learn a lot from the foreign air forces (the American, Italian and Greek air forces – O.H.). I had a chance to fly as part of the Blue Force and as part of the Red Force. In the end, we are Israelis – very flexible and pragmatic people, and we learned that this is not always appropriate for the entire world.

"As an Israeli pilot you grow up learning that you are the defensive wall of the Israeli nation and if you fail in your mission – the results will be disastrous. We realized that in other places they do not educate their pilots that way. I am being very careful here, but in the end there is a mentality difference. You, as an Israeli pilot, will do whatever it takes, while a pilot from another country will say: 'I will come some other time'. That is the Israeli character for you."