Maj Gen Eitan Ben-Eliahu is commanding the only air force in the world which has been performing combat missions continuously since its inception almost 50 years ago. Israel has fought four major wars since gaining its independence in 1948, and the Israeli air force has been involved in thousands of air-air and air-ground missions against the air forces and ground forces of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. In recent years it has fought against guerrilla groups in Lebanon.
The current peace process in the Middle East and the signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan have not affected the state of top readiness required from the air force. Syria is still a major threat, and Iran is emerging fast as another, with a growing air force and a concentrated effort to achieve ballistic-missile capability which will endanger the heart of Israel with conventional and unconventional warheads.
Ben-Eliahu assumed command at the air force in July 1996. Since then, he is continuing the process of preparing it to handle war with one Arab country such as Syria or a multiple attack of a coalition force such as Syria and Iran.
Long arm of the air force
When the air force in 1995 selected the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) F-15I , the reason was obvious. The Scud missiles attacks on Israel during the Gulf War again emphasised the vital need for the air force's strategic capability. This capability has already been demonstrated when the air force in 1981 destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad. During the Gulf War, the long arm of the air force was not used only as a result of the coalition pressure.
The deliveries of the 25 F-15I to the air force will begin in 1998. The future procurement of additional fighters is already on the agenda. "In a few weeks, we will define our operational needs from the next batch of fighters. Then we will look at the potential candidates. Taking into account all the relevant considerations, I intuitively think that the competition again will be between the [Lockheed Martin] F-16 and F-15. If this is really what happens, we will be able to decide in mid-1998 on our selection."
While preparations are being made to select the type of additional new fighters, the air force is evaluating the upgrade options for its F-15s and F-16s. "With more than 100 F-16A/Bs, the problem is obvious, but at this point, I don't see the budget for such an upgrade." The air force has agreed to give one F-16A to Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) to be used as a prototype of the upgrade conceived by the company.
"If foreign air forces will choose the IAI proposal for their F-16s, it may facilitate a decision to upgrade our F-16s. The price will then be lower, says Ben-Eliahu.
Lockheed Martin has been trying to prove that replacing the 100-plus F-16A/Bs with new F-16s will be more economical than upgrading the old aircraft. "With the budget constraints, this is a non-realistic option. An upgrade programme can be gradual. To keep the old F-16s flying another 15 years, we need to improve their maintainability, to equip them with reasonable avionics and to give them self-protection capability. Such an upgrade can be modular and gradual. This flexibility is an option only in an upgrade and not in the replacement of the old F-16s with new ones."
Ben-Eliahu was a commander of an MDC F-4 squadron during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and in the early 1970s became commander of the air force's first F-15 squadron. He knows both fighters intimately, and is convinced that in the early years of the next century the air force will need fighters with the manouevreability of the F-16 and F-15, at least. This is to achieve superiority in encounters which will involve enemy fighters such as the MAPO MiG-29, Panavia Tornado or Dassault Mirage 2000.
Phantom demise
"The [MDC] A-4 and F-4 can not be included in the mix of fighters we'll need, to be ready for the forecasted scenarios," says Ben-Eliahu, who predicts that a decision will be made in about 2004 to scrap even the upgraded F-4, and a parallel decision made to purchase next-generation fighters such as the Joint Strike Fighter.
While the biggest chunk of the air force's procurement budget is channelled to the purchase of new fighters, combat helicopters are not losing their importance. The continuing aerial operations in southern Lebanon involve the intensive use of Bell Cobra and MDC Apache helicopters. The Cobras have been upgraded by installing improved night-targeting systems.
"We are considering the re-engineing of the Cobras with the [Allison] T-700 engine to solve its under-power problem, and we want to replace the Tow missile carried by them. The performance of this missile is not sufficient".
The commander declines to comment on the possible evaluation of the Rafael NT-D missile as a Tow replacement. This missile was offered by Rafael as part of the upgrade package of the Polish air force Huzar helicopter.
The plan is to upgrade the present Apache to the Longbow configuration. "This upgrade is in our programme forecast .We have not decided yet to make the upgrade, but the plan has high priority," says the commander.
The air force is constantly trying to make its flying-school operation more cost-effective by lowering the direct expenses of "producing" a fighter pilot and by the best initial screening , so that most of the cadets will finish the long course with wings on their chests. Many changes have been made in the methodology of the flying course, but Ben-Eliahu emphasises the need for two tools which will streamline the process even further. The first is an advanced screening aircraft to replace the Piper Cub, and the second is the replacement for the Zukit (upgraded CM-170) primary trainer. Ben-Eliahu says that among the candidates for the Cub replacement are trainers made in the Brazil, the Czech Republic and France. So far, the trainer's replacement has not been high on the priority list of the air force. This is why after more than five years of evaluation, during which some trainers have been extensively tested, a decision was not made. "Our dilemma in selecting a new basic trainer is related to the question of whether it should be a replacement to the Zukit or to the A-4 which we use to bridge between basic training and the operational training, performed with F-16s." Ben-Eliahu reveals that the most likely Zukit replacement candidates are the Let L-39 and the British Aerospace Hawk. He says: "There is another consideration. In Israel, we have to think of an emergency, where we will have to assign some marginal combat missions to our trainers. The L-39 and the Hawk are platforms that can answer such an emergency requirement."
The air force is operating Boeing 707s for aerial refuelling and early-warning missions. Ben-Eliahu reveals that half of the 707 fleet will have to be upgraded or replaced, however. "We are looking at the possible re-engineing of the aircraft or the purchase of more modern platforms such as the [Boeing] 767. The main consideration will be the endurance of any potential 707 replacement and its capability to house the systems we want to put on it," he says.
The commander confirms the purchase of Amraam missiles from the USA. "Deliveries will begin in a year or two," he adds. The mix of Python-4 and the long-range Amraam will increase the flexibility of the fighters.
Turkish delight
Recently, the cooperation between the air force and the Turkish air force has become close. This as part of the overall strategic co-operation between the defence establishments of the two countries . Israeli combat squadrons are regularly deployed in Turkish air force bases and Turkish air force fighters are flown in Israeli airspace. Turkey is strategically located in relation to Syria, Iran and Iraq, three of Israel's major enemies. This is thought to be the reason for the close ties between the two air forces.
The Israeli air force has not been included in the Arrow's supporters list since the beginning of the programme. The air force took this position mainly because it feared that deploying the anti-ballistic missile system will shrink its procurement budget.
"The Arrow is a legitimate tool to counter the missiles threat. It is another ingredient in the overall solution. In itself, the Arrow is not a total solution, but a vital one in the defence against ballistic missiles," says Ben-Eliahu. Air force anti-aircraft units will soon begin to prepare for the Arrow deployment. "We will operate the Arrow with the same determination and enthusiasm as we will operate the F-15I," he adds.
Source: Flight International
