The Beginning of the
Israel Aerospace Industry
The IAI is now a very known worldwide aviation industry but
have you ever asked where it started?
Early Years
1953
IAI is established as the Governmental Institute for
Aviation, or Bedek Aviation Company. Its focus is on aircraft maintenance and
overhaul.
1954
The US State Department blocked Canada from selling used
F-86s that were built in Canada, in July 1954, did Israel finally place an
order for six Mystère IIs, in August 1954.
The troublesome predecessor — the development of Mystère II was hampered by problems and only a small number of this little-known type ever entered service with the French air force. Albert Grandolini Collection
Development of this type encountered numerous problems and
the delivery was re-scheduled for July 1955, and then postponed even further.
By the summer of 1955, the French found no other solution but to offer a batch
of 12 second-hand Dassault MD.450 Ouragans as a stop-gap measure, until the
first 12 Mystère IIs would be available.
Israel reacted in September of the same year, accepting the
offer for Ouragans, but cancelling the purchase of Mystère IIs and instead
ordering more advanced Mystère IVs for delivery in 1956.
Ouragans and Mystère IVAs played the crucial role during the
Suez War of 1956, when foremost their armament proved better suited for
modern-day jet combat than that of Soviet-built MiG-15s and MiG-17s operated by
the Egyptian air force.
1955
Bedek is accredited by the Civil Aviation Authorities in
Israel and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an authorized
repair station.
1959
IAI begins to move from purely service, to design and
manufacture of aircraft and advanced land and seaborne systems.
In 1958, amid rumors about Egyptians negotiating the
purchase of supersonic MiG-19S interceptors, the Israelis rushed to place an
order for 36 Dassault Super Mystère B.2 — the first European jet capable of
breaking the sound barrier in horizontal flight.
By the time the IDF/AF began acquiring SMB.2s, in early
1959, Israelis were already eyeing Dassault’s next project — the outstanding,
Mach-two-capable, delta-winged Mirage interceptor. Israel ordered 24 examples
of the IIICJ variant in May 1960. These were equipped with Cyrano I bis radar,
necessary to support Matra R.530 radar guided air-to-air missiles – first such
weapons systems in the Middle East.
Deliveries of Mirage IIICJs to Israel began in April 1962,
by when the order was increased to a total of 76 aircraft. During the same
year, Israel and France signed a contract for license-manufacture of Mirages,
but Israel lacked the industrial capacity to open a production line at home,
and this proved a stillborn idea.
Officially declared a product of the Israeli Aircraft Industries, the 51 Mirage 5s — nicknamed ‘Nesher’ in Israeli service — were all manufactured in France. IDF photo
Service introduction of the Mirage in Israel proved anything
else than smooth. The SNECMA Atar 09B engine was chronically unreliable and
caused a number of accidents. Similarly, there were critical issues with the
radar and its synchronization with two caliber 30mm cannons, while — although
nick-named ‘Diamond’ in the IDF/AF — R.530 missiles proved anything else than
simple to operate.
Hundreds, if not thousands of technical modifications were
necessary in order to transform the Mirage IIICJ into an effective combat
aircraft.
A bi-product of resulting effort was the idea to develop a
simpler and cheaper, easier to maintain and operate variant. Related work
resulted in emergence of the Mirage V, later renamed Mirage 5 — a ground-attack
aircraft capable of speeds in excess of Mach two, equipped with a bare minimum
of electronics, but with a slightly lengthened fuselage to increase fuel
capacity and the number of hardpoints for armament.
A lot of people have claimed that France was responsible for
the reputation of the Israeli Air Force, when in reality it was the Israeli Air
Force that made the reputation of French aviation since the only customers for
French military aircraft were the French Air Force and those that could not
purchase American, British or Soviet aircraft. The only export order the French
had was to India that could not afford the aircraft of the major powers and
settled for French aircraft. Israel was blocked from purchasing from the big
three and aided the French in making a combat capable aircraft.
This page was compiled and posted by Chief Mac, 06/23/23
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