The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) was formed in May 1948, right after Israel’s Declaration of Independence. And ever since then, Israel has been in constant conflict with Palestine. It is one of the longest-standing conflicts in the world. The October attack by Hamas, killing over 1,000 civilians and military personnel, led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare a state of war and unleash the Israeli military. (These are the 25 largest air forces on Earth.)
So far, the IDF has mobilized infantry and tanks, but its greatest strength has always been its air superiority.
Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at Israel’s military aircraft. To identify every attack helicopter and fighter jet in the Israeli Air Force, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed active military aircraft data from FlightGlobal, an annual military aviation publication. We ordered the aircraft alphabetically and included supplemental data from the Military Factory regarding the type of aircraft, year introduced, classification, active number of aircraft, country of origin, manufacturer, top speed, and armament.
The IDF primarily uses the F-16I Sufa, a fairly versatile fighter jet introduced in 2004 with roughly 175 in active service. The F-16I can reach speeds near Mach 2 and carries various weapons, including missiles and guided munitions.
The IDF also uses helicopters like the AH-64 Apache, AS565 Panther, and UH-60 Black Hawk. These helicopters are equipped with machine guns, and some can equip Hellfire missiles or Hydra rocket pods. (These countries have the most Apache attack helicopters.)
Here is a look at every aircraft in Israel’s military:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: 77258709@N06 / Public Domain / Flickr
Israel’s Air Force is a cornerstone of its national defense, while also allowing it to project power within the region. These aircraft also serve in surveillance and reconnaissance roles which are vital for gathering intelligence, preventing emerging threats and planning future operations.
AH-64 Apache
- Type: Dedicated two-seat attack helicopter
- Year introduced: 1986
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Hughes / Boeing / McDonnell Douglas
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 48
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Armament: 30mm Hughes chain gun, Hellfire missiles, Hydra rockets, Stinger air-to-air missiles, Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
AS565 Panther
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Multirole helicopter
- Year introduced: 1985
- Country of Origin: France
- Manufacturer(s): Eurocopter
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 4
- Top speed: 190 mph
- Armament: Giat M621 20mm gun pods, 2.75″ rocket pods, AS-15 TT anti-ship missiles, HOT anti-tank missiles, Mark 46 torpedoes
Bell Model 206 (JetRanger / LongRanger)
Source: Shadman Samee / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Light utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 1967
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Bell Helicopter Textron
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 4
- Top speed: 122 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine guns
Bell OH-58 Kiowa
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Light scout and reconnaissance helicopter
- Year introduced: 1969
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Bell Helicopter Textron
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 18
- Top speed: 131 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm machine gun/minigun pods, Hydra rocket pods, Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Stinger air-to-air missiles
Boeing 707
Source: cooke1 / Flickr
- Type: In-flight refueler / aerial tanker aircraft
- Year introduced: 1958
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Boeing
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 7
- Top speed: 551 mph
- Armament: None
C-130 Hercules
Source: JohnGPhotos / Shutterstock.com
- Type: Tactical transport
- Year introduced: 1956
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Lockheed Martin
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 10
- Top speed: 373 mph
- Armament: None
CH-53 Sea Stallion
- Type: Heavy-lift transport helicopter
- Year introduced: 1966
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky Aircraft / VFW-Fokker; Spey
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 22
- Top speed: 196 mph
- Armament: 12.7mm XM218, 12.7mm GAU-21, 7.62mm MG3 machine gun
F-15 Eagle
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Type: Air superiority fighter aircraft
- Year introduced: 1976
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): McDonnell Douglas / Boeing / Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 66
- Top speed: 1875 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1, air-to-air missiles (Sidewinder, Sparrow), air-to-ground missiles (Maverick, HARM), Laser-guided bombs, cluster bombs
F-16I Sufa (Storm)
- Type: Lightweight multirole fighter
- Year introduced: 2004
- Country of Origin: Israel
- Manufacturer(s): Lockheed Martin / Elbit Systems; Israel Aerospace Industries
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 175
- Top speed: 1501 mph
- Armament: 20mm M61A1, short-range air-to-air missiles on wingtip launchers
F-35 Lightning II
- Type: Advanced multirole strike fighter
- Year introduced: 2016
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman / BAE Systems
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 39
- Top speed: 1199 mph
- Armament: 25mm GAU-12/U, air-to-air missiles (Sidewinder, AMRAAM), guided bombs (Paveway II), general purpose bombs, JDAM bombs, cruise missiles (Stormshadow)
Grob G120A
- Type: Lightweight basic trainer aircraft
- Year introduced: 1999
- Country of Origin: Germany
- Manufacturer(s): Grob Aircraft
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 16
- Top speed: 199 mph
- Armament: None
Gulfstream V
- Type: Special electronic mission aircraft
- Year introduced: 1997
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Gulfstream
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 3
- Top speed: 675 mph
- Armament: None
IAI EL/W-2085 (G550)
Source: Anna Zvereva / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Airborne early warning and control aircraft
- Year introduced: 2012
- Country of Origin: Israel
- Manufacturer(s): Israel Aircraft Industries / Gulfstream Aircraft
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 2
- Top speed: 587 mph
- Armament: None
KC-130 Super Hercules
Source: kariyamogami / Flickr
- Type: Aerial tanker
- Year introduced: 1962
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Lockheed Martin
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 7
- Top speed: 416 mph
- Armament: None
KC-46 Pegasus
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: In-flight refueler / aerial tanker aircraft
- Year introduced: 2019
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Boeing
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 1
- Top speed: 569 mph
- Armament: None
King Air 200
Source: silenus81 / Flickr
- Type: Multirole transport aircraft
- Year introduced: 1964
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Beechcraft
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 22
- Top speed: 311 mph
- Armament: None
Leonardo AW119 (Koala)
- Type: Lightweight utility helicopter
- Year introduced: 2000
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Manufacturer(s): Leonardo-Finmeccanica
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 1
- Top speed: 177 mph
- Armament: None
Leonardo M-346 Master
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Advanced jet trainer
- Year introduced: 2016
- Country of Origin: Italy
- Manufacturer(s): Leonardo-Finmeccanica
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 30
- Top speed: 659 mph
- Armament: None
T-6 Texan II
- Type: Tandem-seat basic trainer aircraft
- Year introduced: 2001
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Raytheon Aircraft / Hawker Beechcraft (Textron Aviation)
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 20
- Top speed: 320 mph
- Armament: None
UH-60 Black Hawk
Source: thescang / Flickr
- Type: Medium-lift multi-mission helicopter
- Year introduced: 1979
- Country of Origin: United States
- Manufacturer(s): Sikorsky Aircraft / PZL / Turkish Aerospace Industries
- Active aircraft in Israeli Air Force: 48
- Top speed: 183 mph
- Armament: 7.62mm general purpose machine gun, Hellfire missiles, GAU-19 12.7mm gatling gun, mine dispersal systems, 2.75″ FFAR rocket pods
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