Hatzor Airbase

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Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base
IATA: noneICAO: LLHS
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Israeli Air Force
Location Hatzor, Israel
Elevation AMSL 148 ft / 45 m
Coordinates 31°45′45.00″N 34°43′38.00″E / 31.7625, 34.7272222
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05/23 7905 2409 Asphalt
11R/29L 8040 2451 Asphalt
11L/29R 8005 2440 Asphalt

Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base (ICAO: LLHS), also titled Kanaf 4 (lit. Wing 4) is an Israeli Air Force military airbase, located in central Israel, near kibbutz Hatzor after which it is named.

The airbase was constructed by the Royal Air Force in 1945, during the British Mandate of Palestine, when it was called RAF Qastina after the nearby Palestinian village of the same name.

On the night of 25 February 1946, Irgun militants attacked the airbase and destroyed parked RAF Halifax transports. Two additional RAF airbases (Lydda and Kfar Sirkin) were attacked that night, in what became known as the "Night of Airplanes". Altogether, the attacks destroyed 20 RAF planes and damaged several others. Following these attacks, the RAF vacated some of its Palestine-based planes to Egypt. [1]

During the Israeli War of Independence, the airbase was evacuated by the British on 15 March 1948 and taken over by Hagana forces.

On the morning of August 16, 1966, a Soviet Mig-21 jet plane landed in Hatzor AFB. Munir Redfa, an Iraqi Air Force pilot, was convinced by the Mossad (The Blue Bird – Operation Diamond) to fly the flagship of the Soviet industry to Israel. It was the most advanced aircraft in use by the Arab armies at the time. [2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1946 Israeli Air Force
  2. ^ 1966 The blue bird legend