Jane’s Defense Weekly reported last week that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is interested in deploying some
of its combat aircraft in the United States for regular flight training. According to Jane’s, the IAF outlined a plan to station a detachment of Israeli fighter aircraft on a US Air Force base by 2002. Israel Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Dan Halutz told Jane’s that Israeli pilots would be continually rotated for training missions.
The Israelis want to make use of the large land area and airspace of American Air Force bases to improve pilot readiness with realistic combat exercises and training for long-range air strikes. The limited land mass of the entire state of Israel, 20,330 sq. km (7,849.46 sq. miles), does not approach, for example, the size of the Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle, with a total area of 255,598.15 sq. km (98,687 sq. miles). The stationing of the fighters in America would also naturally increase opportunities for joint combat training with the US Air Force. No final decision to station IAF aircraft in the US has been made by either the US Department of Defense or the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
of its combat aircraft in the United States for regular flight training. According to Jane’s, the IAF outlined a plan to station a detachment of Israeli fighter aircraft on a US Air Force base by 2002. Israel Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Dan Halutz told Jane’s that Israeli pilots would be continually rotated for training missions.
The Israelis want to make use of the large land area and airspace of American Air Force bases to improve pilot readiness with realistic combat exercises and training for long-range air strikes. The limited land mass of the entire state of Israel, 20,330 sq. km (7,849.46 sq. miles), does not approach, for example, the size of the Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle, with a total area of 255,598.15 sq. km (98,687 sq. miles). The stationing of the fighters in America would also naturally increase opportunities for joint combat training with the US Air Force. No final decision to station IAF aircraft in the US has been made by either the US Department of Defense or the Israeli Ministry of Defense.