National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

150 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s
In accordance with its concept, the IAF had previously prepared a very detailed
strategy that in the event of war, the force would carry out the first missions in order
to obtain air superiority over the combined air forces of all the Arab States. The code
name for the operation was “Moked” (Focus) and set out in the minutest details the
attacks on the enemy airfields in order to destroy most of the planes while still on
the ground.
With no other choice and with the risk that war could break out at any moment
on the initiative of the Arab States, Israel carried out a pre-emptive strike on the
morning of the 5 th June 1967. The IAF, catching the Egyptians by complete surprise,
attacked 18 Egyptian airfields, destroying hundreds of aircrafts. Later during the day,
a further 5 Syrian and 2 Jordanian airfields were hit as well as the advance airfield of
the Iraqi air force. In these attacks most of the enemy’s aircraft were destroyed.
Thus the IAF gained air superiority by destroying most of the enemy aircrafts,
mostly MiG21s, MiG17s, Sukhoi7s, British Hunters in Jordan and Iraq. All the 30
Topulev16 heavy-bombers in Egypt had been destroyed. This was achieved in the
first three hours on the first day of the war. Now the IAF could turn it’s attention
to supporting the ground forces by attacking enemy convoys, gun emplacements,
command posts, bunkers and camps, and at the same time repulsed any enemy aircraft
that might have survived the initial attack and tried to attack the Israel ground
forces. The war ended in six days after the IDF had captured the whole of Sinai up
to the Suez Canal, the Golan Heights from Syria and the West Bank of the Jordan
River from Jordan. In the Six Day War, the IAF attacked 26 air-bases in the Arab
countries. In these attacks more than 390 aircrafts were destroyed on the ground, and
in air-to-air battles they lost 60 more aircrafts. The loss of the IAF was 46 aircrafts,
mostly by anti-aircraft fire.
Two MiG’s17 a/c destroyed by air attack in Kabrit, an Egyptian airfield, not far from the
Suez Canal in the Six-Day War.