Ramat David military airfield
Ramat David Air Wing 1 military airfield , location in Israel: |
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Characteristics | ||
ICAO code | LLRD | |
Coordinates | ||
Height above MSL | 56 m (184 ft ) | |
Basic data | ||
opening | 1942 | |
operator | Israeli Air Force | |
Runways | ||
09/27 | 2606 m asphalt | |
11/29 | 2431 m of asphalt | |
15/33 | 2406 m of asphalt |
The Ramat David military airfield (emphasis on the second syllable) is the northernmost airfield of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and is located in the northern district of Israel , near the Ramat David kibbutz , about 20 km southeast of Haifa . It has three runways, each about 2.5 km in length.
history
In 1942 the military airfield was laid out by the Royal Air Force (RAF) under the British Mandate over Palestine and taken over by the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) in 1948. Over time, it became the main base of IAF operations north of Israel in Syria and Lebanon . In 1986 the “First Jet” relay on Ramat David was the first to receive the then new F-16C / D jets, which was followed in 1991 by the “Valley” relay, both of which have existed to this day (2020).
Current
The 45 F-16 fighter jets currently stationed there (2020) are housed in underground hangars, into which they disappear again after each landing. This serves to protect against missiles and at the same time removes them from view and precise localization. Syria and Lebanon are only 50 to 60 km away, from where rockets are repeatedly launched into northern Israel. Since 2014 there have been plans to expand Ramat David into a second major international airport next to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv .
units
- 109th Squadron F-16D Barak combat aircraft ("Valley" Squadron)
- 117th Squadron F-16C Barak combat aircraft ("First Jet" Squadron)
- 193rd Squadron Eurocopter AS 565 Panther Atalef rescue helicopter ("Defenders Of The West" Squadron)
A Eurocopter AS 565 Atalef rescue helicopter at Ramat David Airbase
Ramat David Airbase was named after the former general and president in 2011 Ezer Weizman named
Ramat David Airbase as seen from Mount Carmel , looking east-southeast
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ IAF website: The First Jet Squadron
- ^ IAF website: The Valley Squadron
- ↑ Air force base is slated to become second major airport , The Times of Israel. September 18, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014. "After years of attempts to find a location for a second major international airport in Israel, the Ramat David air force base in the Lower Galilee has emerged as the likely solution."