Israel had first expressed an interest in acquiring the Phantom in 1965, but the U.S. was not yet willing to sell the fighter to Israel and agreed to provide A-4 Skyhawks instead. After the 1967 Six Days War Israel watched with growing alarm the rapid rearmament of Arab air forces with frontline Soviet fighters and sought to renew its own fighter fleet. France, its major arms supplier until then, had embargoed all sales to Israel after a 1968 commando raid on Beirut's airport. Israel therefore once again turned to the U.S. in hope of acquiring the F-4 and in a meeting with Israeli prime minister Levy Eshkol in January 1968, president Lyndon Johnson finally agreed to look favorably on a Phantom sale to Israel. In December 1968 the "Peace Echo" deal was signed for the provision of 44 F-4Es and 6 RF-4Es to the IAF and on March 25th 1969 Israeli crews begun training on the new fighters. Although the War of Attrition was still going on at the time, the IAF sent its best pilots and navigators to the U.S., headed by the two future F-4 squadron commanders : Avihu Ben-Nun and Shmuel Hetz. The Israeli delegation returned to Israel during August and on Friday, September 5th, the first Israel Phantoms landed at Hatzor AFB. The four planes, wearing an IAF color scheme but still carrying their American markings, joined the new 201st "The One" (Ha'ahat) squadron, commanded by Shmuel Hetz. Deliveries continued at a rate of 4 a month and on October 23rd the 69th "Hammers" (Ha-Patishim) squadron was reformed at Ramat-David, headed by Avihu Ben-Nun.
The type entered service as the "Kurnass" (Sledgehammer), the last aircraft arriving in May 1971.
Links http://idfaf.110mb.com/Phantom/PhantomMain.html
1/144 Scale Model in F-4 Phantom II Series.
Kits: PLATZ / F-toys
Model by Supawat Putthitornworasit
"The One" squadron,
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