Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Ramat David Airbase

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Built by
  
Royal Air Force

Elevation
  
42 m

Owner
  
Israeli Air Force

Address
  
Haifa, Israel

Year built
  
1942

Ramat David Airbase

Tzahal israel air force ramat david airbase voennoe delo


Ramat David Israeli Air Force Base (ICAO: LLRD, Hebrew: בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִיר רָמַת דָּוִד‎ Basis Kheil HaAvir Ramat David) is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force, located southeast of Haifa, close to kibbutz Ramat David and Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley. It was originally built as a Royal Air Force station in 1942 under the British Mandate when it was known as RAF Ramat David. It is reported to be the most likely location for a new International airport to complement Ben Gurion Airport.

Contents

History

Roald Dahl, in his World War II autobiography 'Going Solo', mentions landing his RAF Hawker Hurricane at Ramat David in 1941. At the time it was a hastily prepared grass airstrip rolled out in a cornfield by the residents of the nearby Kibbutz.

RAF Ramat David

RAF Ramat David was a Royal Air Force station in the British Mandate of Palestine between 1942 and 1948, located approximately 4 km south of Ramat Yishay (Northern District); 80 km north-northeast of Tel Aviv.

Royal AirForce operational units at RAF Ramat David:

  • No. 6 Squadron RAF
  • No. 32 Squadron RAF
  • No. 37 Squadron RAF
  • No. 46 Squadron RAF
  • No. 74 Squadron RAF
  • No. 127 Squadron RAF
  • No. 154 Squadron RAF
  • No. 208 Squadron RAF
  • No. 213 Squadron RAF
  • No. 216 Squadron RAF
  • No. 232 Squadron RAF
  • No. 242 Squadron RAF
  • No. 243 Squadron RAF
  • No. 249 Squadron RAF
  • No. 294 Squadron RAF
  • No. 459 Squadron RAAF
  • No. 651 Squadron RAF

    • After the Israeli Declaration of Independence and the start of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the base was temporarily maintained by the RAF to cover the withdrawal of British forces from Palestine. On 22 May, the Royal Egyptian Air Force attacked the base, mistakenly believing it was an Israeli airbase. In a series of three attacks, several aircraft were destroyed or damaged, a hangar was destroyed, and four airmen were killed. Five Egyptian fighter planes were shot down.

    Israeli Air Force Base Ramat David

    On 26 May 1948 the base was handed over to the newly created Israel Defense Forces. Ramat David currently houses 3 F-16 C/D squadrons, including 117 "First Jet" squadron, formed on 7 June 1953, and a Eurocopter AS565 Panther squadron. In 2010, the airbase was the second-largest unit in the IDF with over 1,100 soldiers.

    Israeli Air Force Units

  • 109 Squadron (Israel) F-16D
  • 110 Squadron (Israel) F-16C
  • 117 Squadron (Israel) F-16C
  • 193 Squadron (Israel) AS-565

    • References

    Ramat David Airbase Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA