National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

tH e mi l i ta ry do C t r i n e o f t H e is r a e l i air fo r C e 159
MiG21 downed in air
to air battle (note the
brake-chute opens
after being hit).
wide renown, occurred in June 1981. Iraq had built a nuclear reactor near Baghdad
with the aim of manufacturing atomic weapons and threatening to use them against
Israel. The reactor was built with the aid of France, and by the beginning of 1981
they had reached the stage of near completion and the ability to manufacture atomic
weapons. Israeli authorities were extremely worried at the possibility of an enemy
nation like Iraq having the ability to manufacture weapons of mass destruction. The
IDF started to look for ways to combat the Iraqi threat and the IAF prepared a plan to
destroy the reactor by air, started training and reached the stage of operational capability.
When the green light was given by
the government, eight F16 aircrafts accompanied
by 6 F15 aircrafts attacked
the reactor with special armament and
destroyed it. This was an operation of
outstanding quality carried into effect
by IAF personnel in an operation carried
out far from the borders of Israel.
Many air forces throughout the world,
including the United States air force
(USAF), congratulated the IAF on its
exceptional achievement.
The first Israeli bridge over the Suez
Canal in the Yom Kippur War
(that operation changed the face of
the war).