Israel Defence Force (IDF)
Douglas Poster courtesy of Gary Verver;
Israeli Air Force Ayit (Skyhawk) Pilots KIA |
Israel was the largest customer for export Skyhawks. A contract for 48 was signed 02 June 1966. The first four (A-4Hs) arrived in Israel by ship at the port of Haifa in 29 December 1967. The Skyhawks were down-graded, some avionics removed, and were re-designated A-4H. They first flew as "Ayits" on 01 January 1986 with #109 Squadron at Ramat David. Side Numbers assigned were 03, 05, 07, and 09. After the number of Skyhawks passed one-hundred; a third number was added to the front of the side numbers. The IDF Ayit (Eagle) became operational in 1968 and was used extensively in combat operations.
1971: "...the Skyhawk had proven to be so successful in Israeli service that it actually blurred the differences between "light" and "heavy" [attack]". Page 30 of "Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units In Combat" by Shlomo Aloni.
AUG 1971: "Crystal" were upgraded A-4E and A-4H aircraft with higher rated engines, improved heads-up display, and improved weapons/navigation systems which brought them to an A-4N standard..
08 DEC 2004: Advanced Israel Air Force A-4 Performs its Inaugural Flight!
Y2004: RADA Electronic Industries Ltd. announced that the first upgraded Israel Air Force (IAF) A-4 "Ayit" had successfully completed its first flight. The A-4 "Ayit" is the IAF's advanced trainer. The upgraded aircraft has new electronics and the upgrade program was to be completed by the third quarter of 2005. 26 A-4N, 4 TA-4H, and 18 TA-4J aircraft were upgraded.
Per Defense Industry Daily 03-Aug-2009 : "storied land-based career with the Israeli Air Force, who used this simple, pilot-friendly aircraft from late 1967 onward as a versatile attack aircraft with surprising air-air teeth"
"The "Ayit" was a much-beloved jet in the Israeli Air Force. The little A-4 agility coupled with an equally surprising ability to take battle damage, made it a popular and reliable choice over several wars. The type was used heavily in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and the Israeli fleet took correspondingly heavy loses: of 102 aircraft lost, 53 were Ayits. That war was not without its moments of distinction. In one engagement, an Israeli A-4 Ayit found itself facing 3 MiG-21s. The maneuverable little A-4 turned on them and brought 2 of them down, and was reportedly on the 3rd Fishbed's tail when an IAF Mirage IIIC zipped through and blasted the MiG out of the sky."
Skyhawk Deliveries to Israel:
Updated 25JUL19 (twidget)
Date unknown 02 A-4B Airframes for instructional purposes. They now reside at museums. DEC 1967-1968 48 A-4H BuNo 155242 thru 155289 1969 34 A-4H BuNo 157395 thru 157428 08 A-4H BuNo 157918 thru 157925 06 TA-4H BuNo 157429 thru 157434/li> 04 TA-4H BuNo 157926 thru 157929 1971-1972 60 Former USA A-4E; BuNo 151189 04 TA-4F Former USA TA-4F (1972-73) 02 TA-4J BuNo158492 thru 158493 (OCT72) NOV72-1973 02 TA-4J BuNo 158497 thru 158498 (NOV72) 02 TA-4J BuNo 158502 thru 158503 (FEB73) 18 A-4N BuNo 158726 thru 158743 18 A-4N BuNo 159035 thru 159052 32 A-4E former USA (OCT/NOV73) 14 A-4F former USA (OCT/NOV73 14 A-4N BuNo 159075 thru 159098 (1973-74) Flight to Israel. 1974 04 TA-4J BuNo 159101, 159102, 159103, 159104 ( Highly suspected) 31 A-4N BuNo 159515 thru 159545 1975 11 TA-4J/H BuNo 159546 thru 159556 1976 26 A-4N BuNo 159799 thru 159824 1992-1994 03 TA-4J BuNo 152853, 15500, 153672, 747, 748, 749. Ex-USA - 7 were rejected. Total Received = 353 A-4H 155242 155289 48 157395 157428 34 157918 157925 8 TA-4H 157429 157434 6 157926 157929 4 159546 159556 11 159795 159798 4 A-4N 158726 158743 18 159035 159052 18 159075 159098 24 159515 159545 31 159799 159824 26 See column to the right for more.
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A-4E/F former USA Skyhawks:92 A-4E 149664 149968 149971 149973 149978 149979 149986 149987 149995 149998 150003 150010 150015 150016 150025 150026 150031 150039 150042 150060 150065 150066 150082 150087 150091 150092 150117 150120 150124 150125 150134 150138 151027 151028 151040 151056 151066 151072 151079 151084 151086 151098 151100 151120 151121 151129 151137 151147 151148 151156 151163 151164 151169 151184 151187 151189 151190 151987 151989 151994 151996 152006 152007 152013 152014 152017 152019 152023 152030 152031 152032 152033 152035 152037 152044 152050 152058 152059 152062 152064 152078 152079 152083 152089 152090 152097 86 BuNos of 92 received 14 A-4F OCT73 154178 154188 154191 154195 154212 154990 154997 154998 155007 155008 155040 155043 155058 155065 Total Per Type: 02 A-4B (airframes for teaching aids) 92 A-4E 14 A-4F 90 A-4H 117 A-4N 04 TA-4F 10 TA-4H 24 TA-4J |
Skyhawk Loses (100+)
29JAN68: A-4H #07, 109 SQ Ya'acov Agassi POW
31MAY07: A-4N #401, 102 SQ Pilot survived
Skyhawk Sales (50):
1980: 14 A-4E Sold to Indonesia
1980: 2 TA-4H Sold to Indonesia (BuNo 157429 and 157430)
1981: 1 A-4E Sold to Indonesia BuNo151189 which became TT-0441.
1982: 16 A-4E Sold to Indonesia
2000: 4 A-4N (305, 335, 373) Sold to BAE Systems
2001: 10 A-4N (321, 344, 413, ?) Sold to ATSI in USA
2001: 2 TA-4F (748, 749) Sold to ATSI in USA
(Note: These 3 T-birds were never used by IDF and another listing shows them as TA-4Js #747,748,749.)
2001: 1 TA-4J (251) Sold to ATSI in USA
Skyhawk for Israel, 159805 (c/n 14504, IDF/AF 305) has civilian number N431FS reserved for it.
159815 (c/n 14514, IDF/AF 373) has civilian number N434FS reserved for it.
159823 (c/n 14522, IDF/AF) now has civilian number N264WL reserved for it.
Reported Skyhawk retirements:
10 A-4s to the target range.
IAF Museums; A-4E #885, A-4E #891, A-4F #611, A-4H #222, A-4H #230, A-4H #261, A-4H #270, A-4N #230, A-4N #379, TA-4J #747 and #328 at the Ramat David display.
"A number of A-4E/H/N aircraft are currently stored at Ovda Air Base, some planes have been used as electronic warfare support aircraft, others have been sold or leased to contractors like ATAC, and as noted earlier, the “Flying Tigers” of 102 Squadron at Hatzerim Air Base still use their A-4Ns and 2-seat TA-4Js for advanced IAF pilot training."<
13 DEC 2015: IAF retires Skyhawk after 48 years in service. (Yoav Zitun. Published: 12.13.15, Israel News)
DEC 2015:
Final formal retirement of the Skyhawk from IDF.
IN the past, in-service with IAF as front-line a/c:
A-4H Ayit
Y1990=135 | Y1995=180 | Y2000=180 | Y2001=180 | |||
Y2002=110 | Y2006=39 | Y2008=39 | Y2010=39 |
TA-4J Ayit
Y1990=17 | Y1995=20 | Y2000=18 | Y2001=17 | Y2002=17 | ||||
Y2006=16 | Y2008=16 | Y2010=16 | Projected Y2015=16 |
TA-4H Ayit
Y1990=6 | Y1995=10 | Y2000=9 | Y2001=9 | Y2002=9 | ||||
Y2006=10 | Y2008=10 | Y2010=10 | Projected Y2015=10 |
Sources:
PDF on Israeli AHIT
"Boom" Powell
Amos Dor (Flying-Wing Squadron)
Todd Frommelt
REF: Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units In Combat by Shlomo Aloni. (Osprey Combat Aircraft No. 81) first printed 2009. ISBN 13;978 1 84603 430 5
REF: Skyhawks over Israel by Marco Pennings.