Ovda Airbase (Hebrew: בסיס עובדה, English: fact) is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base, located in the very south of Israel, around 40 kilometers north of Eilat, in a large plain of the southern Negev desert. It has two runways with lengths of 3,000 and 2,600 meters and a heliport. There are currently (2024) no operational fighter jets or helicopters stationed there, but the so-called "Aggressor Squadron" for pilot training. The international military aviation exercise Blue Flag takes place there every two years.[1]
| Ovda Israeli Air Force Base Air Force Base 10  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
בסיס עובדה | |||||||||
| Uvda, Southern District in Israel | |||||||||
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  Ovda Airbase Shown within Israel  Ovda Airbase Ovda Airbase (Israel) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 29°56′19″N 34°56′13″E / 29.93861°N 34.93694°E | ||||||||
| Type | Airbase | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Israel Defense Forces | ||||||||
| Operator | Israeli Air Force | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1981 | ||||||||
| In use | 1981–present | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: VDA, ICAO: LLOV | ||||||||
| Elevation | 455 metres (1,493 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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History
editIn March 1949 – 8 km northwest to the current base – the temporary Abraham Airfield (Sde Avraham, 29°58′02″N 34°51′34″E / 29.967347°N 34.859480°E) was set up during Operation Uvda to secure the southern Negev against Jordan shortly before the end of the First Arab–Israeli War.
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Map of Operation Uvda in 1949 with a temporary airfield in the southern Negev desert
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Piper PA-11 Cub Special planes on temporary Abraham Airfield (Sde Avraham) during Operation Uvda
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In 1981 Ovda (Uvda) was opened as a military airbase (together with Nevatim and Ramon Airbase) – a replacement for the Etzion Airbase and three others on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, abandoned after the Camp David Accords (see map below).[2]
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The then presidents Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter and Prime Minister Menachem Begin (left to right) at Camp David (USA) in Sept. 1978
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Abandoned IAF bases on the Sinai Peninsula (red) and newly established bases in southern Israel (blue)
From 1982 onwards it was also used as Ovda Airport for civil charter flights and from 1988 to 2019 for regular scheduled flights by holidaymakers from Europe who wanted to get to the seaside resort of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba.
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The first terminal of Eilat-Ovda Airport in 2006
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The new terminal of Ovda Airport, which was closed again on 31 March 2019
On 31 March 2019, the civilian part was closed, because the new Ramon Airport had now gone into operation, which is also much closer to Eilat.[3]
Aggressor Squadron
editIn March 2005, the 115 Aggressor Squadron "Flying Dragon" was brought back to life on Ovda. At this point it was flying both F-16A/B Netz jets and AH-1 Cobra Tzefa attack helicopters. Their task is or was to simulate enemy jet or helicopter attacks and especially their tactics in order to create the most realistic scenario possible in real combat. The squadron also includes a surface-to-air unit that simulates enemy air defense systems.[4]
The squadron is not intended for operational missions, although the pilots are trained fighter pilots and the jets are operational machines. Similar to the USAF, the squadron also offers this training service to other nations.[5]
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An older F-16A Netz of 115 Squadron "Flying Dragon" in 2013
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A now retired AH-1 Cobra Tzefa attack helicopter of the IAF
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Older badge of 115 Squadron "Flying Dragon"
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In 2013, all AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters of the IAF were decommissioned, including those based at Ovda. In April 2017, the Aggressor Squadron's older F-16A/B jets were replaced with newer used F-16C/D Barak.[6][7]
Blue Flag
editSince 2013, the international military aviation exercise Blue Flag has taken place on Ovda every two years in the fall, for which several Western countries send their pilots and fighter jets to Israel, where they undergo intensive training, which also includes the 115 Squadron "Flying Dragon" of the IAF with its role as aggressor. In addition to the air forces directly involved, numerous observers from other countries are also regularly present.[8]
Today
editFor the first time in its history, the IAF appointed its first female commander of an air force base at Ovda Airbase in March 2024.[9]
Units
edit- 115 Aggressor Squadron "Flying Dragon" – operating F-16C/D Barak[7]
- IAF Ground Staff School
- IAF Officers' School
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An F-16C Barak of the 115 Aggressor Squadron "Flying Dragon" in January 2021
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Two Israeli pilots in front of their F-16C jets of 115 Squadron at Ovda in October 2021
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Current badge of 115 Squadron "Flying Dragon"
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Note: IAF aircraft can usually be assigned to their squadron by the symbols on the tail
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ovda (Uvda / Ouvda) – Israel Airfields". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ "The IDF completes the evacuation of Sinai". IAF-Website. 1982-04-25. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ "Eilat Ramon Airport Guide". Ramon-Airport.com. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ Pfeffer, Anshel (September 19, 2010). "Flying Dragons simulate the enemy for Israel Air Force pilots". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
- ^ Aloni, Shlomo (2010-09-01). "Israeli Reds". Air Forces Monthly (269).
- ^ "IAF Grounds Apache Fleet after Fatal Crash". Israel Defense. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- ^ a b "The "Red" Squadron has Integrated the "Barak"". IAF Website. 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Cooperation over competition: Eight nations fly in Israel's largest-ever air drill". defensenews.com. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
- ^ "For first time in Israel's history, IDF appoints woman commander of Air Force base". Times of Israel.