Operation Focus (Hebrew: מבצע מוקד, Mivtza Moked) was the opening airstrike by Israel at the start of the Six-Day War in 1967. It is sometimes referred to as the "Sinai Air Strike". At 07:45 on 5 June 1967, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) under Maj. Gen. Mordechai Hod launched a massive airstrike that destroyed the majority of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground. Following Syrian and Jordanian attacks in retaliation, the Israeli Air Force proceeded to bomb air bases in those countries. By noon, the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian Air Forces, totaling about 450 aircraft, were destroyed. It was also very successful in disabling 18 airfields in Egypt, hindering Egyptian air operations for the duration of the war, and remains one of the most successful air attack campaigns in military history.
The IAF launched all but 12 of its nearly 200 operational jets[1] in three main waves of aerial attacks, and several smaller waves in the days following the operation. A total of 452 enemy aircraft were destroyed, most of them on the ground. That left the IAF in almost complete control of the skies, and it was able to assist the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ground units effectively.
The operational success was achieved by concentrating on the initial destruction of the runways with a new kind of weapon, a rocket assisted anti-runway warhead. The prototype French/Israeli anti-runway weapon program uses rocket braking over the target to point the warhead directly toward the runway being attacked; at a set altitude, a second accelerator rocket ignites and drives the warhead through the pavement of the runway before it detonates. The explosion creates a small crater over a large new sinkhole, meaning the damaged runway section must be completely removed before the sinkhole can be repaired rather than a normal bomb crater which is simply filled in and patched. Once the runways were disabled, entire air bases' complements of aircraft were effectively grounded and fell victim to subsequent attack waves, resulting in near-total Israeli air supremacy.[2][3]
TimelineEdit
5 June 1967Edit
Egyptian aircraft destroyed on the ground
Egyptian defensive infrastructure was extremely poor, and no airfields were yet equipped with hardened aircraft shelters capable of protecting Egypt's warplanes in the event of an attack. The Israeli warplanes headed out over the Mediterranean Sea before turning toward Egypt. Meanwhile, the Egyptians hindered their own defense by effectively shutting down their entire air defense system: they were worried that rebel Egyptian forces would shoot down the plane carrying Field Marshal Amer and Lt-Gen. Sedky Mahmoud, who were en route from Almaza Air Base to Bir Tamada in the Sinai to meet the commanders of the troops stationed there. In this event it did not make a great deal of difference as the Israeli pilots came in below Egyptian radar cover and well below the lowest point at which Egypt's SA-2 surface-to-air missile batteries could bring down an aircraft.[4]
The first Israeli wave attacked 11 bases, catching much of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground and destroying them before they got airborne. The Israeli jets then returned to Israel, were "quick-turned" (refueled and re-armed) in 7 minutes 30 seconds, and left in a second wave that attacked 14 Egyptian bases and returned with only minor losses.[5] They "quick-turned" again and departed in a third wave.
The opening stages of Operation Focus were a complete success: Egypt's air force of nearly 500 combat aircraft was destroyed in the space of three hours, with only minor losses to the Israeli Air Force. When Syria, Jordan, and Iraq attacked Israeli targets in retaliation for the airstrike on Egypt, their attacks were mainly directed at civilian targets[citation needed] and were largely ineffectual. In response many of the IAF planes headed for a third strike on Egypt were diverted en route to Syrian and Jordanian targets, and other IAF aircraft were sent against Arab ground forces in support of Israeli ground forces. By the end of the first day of the Six-day War, Israel had complete air superiority over Egypt, the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the entire Sinai desert.[6]
6–10 June 1967Edit
On the second day of the war (6 June) the IAF was used against Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, and Iraqi ground forces.
On the third day (7 June) the IAF destroyed hundreds of Egyptian vehicles trying to flee across the Sinai in convoys and trapped thousands more in narrow Sinai passes. By the end of the third day Jordan's air force of 34 combat aircraft had essentially ceased to exist.
By the sixth and final day (10 June) Syria had lost approximately 100 combat aircraft and the fighting was over.
AftermathEdit
During the Six-Day War, the Israeli Air Force, with 250 combat aircraft[7] at its disposal, employing 352 sorties, had prevailed over a coalition with approximately 600 combat aircraft. The IAF destroyed 452 enemy aircraft, including 79 in air combat, while losing 46 of its own. Twenty-four Israeli pilots and hundreds of Arab pilots were killed.[citation needed]
First wave (7:45 am): 101 sorties; 11 airfields were attacked by 183 IAF aircraft; 197 Egyptian aircraft and 8 radar stations were destroyed. Five IAF pilots were killed and five more fell captive.
Second wave (9:30 am): 164 sorties; airfields were attacked; 107 Egyptian aircraft destroyed; Two Syrian planes destroyed in dogfights
Third Wave (12:15 pm): 85 sorties against Egypt, 48 against Jordan, 67 against Syria and one against H-3 air base in Iraq.
Other waves (afternoon & evening): two more sorties against H-3; several additional attacks on Egyptian airfields.
Other effectsEdit
The effectiveness of the operation showed how vulnerable fixed air base installations were to aerial attacks at the time. This caused many nations' air forces to develop improved defensive measures against them, such as constructing hardened aircraft shelters to protect aircraft on the ground and establishing highway strips as alternative air bases.[8][9]
^. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"Dassault Mirage: The Combat Log", Salvador Mafe Huertas, page-41, ISBN978-0-7643-0168-1
^Bowen, 2003, pp. 114–115 (author interview with General Salahadeen Hadidi who presided over the first court martial of the heads of the air force and the air defence system after the war).
^Eshel, Stanley M. Ulanoff, David (1985). The fighting Israeli Air Force. New York: Arco Pub. p. 43. ISBN978-0-668-05578-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Townshend, Charles (2005). The Oxford History of Modern War. Oxford University Press. p. 167. ISBN978-0-19-280645-1.
^Andersson, Lennart (23 November 2006). "Svenska reservvägbaser" (PDF) (in Swedish).
SourcesEdit
Eric Hammel (October 2002). "Sinai air strike: June 5, 1967". Military Heritage. 4 (2): 68–73.
Danni Shalom, Like A Bolt Out of the Blue: How the Arab Airforces were destroyed in the Six-Day War, BAVIR – Aviation Publications, 2002, 650 pages, hardcover.
Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Samuel M. Katz Israel's Air Force; The Power Series. Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers, Osceola, WI. 1991.
External linksEdit
IAF official website – Six Day War
Operation Focus: The Winning Air Strike
(Al-Jazeera documentary in English, Part 1) on YouTube
(Al-Jazeera documentary in English, Part 2) on YouTube
October 20, 2023
operation, focus, hebrew, מבצע, מוקד, mivtza, moked, opening, airstrike, israel, start, 1967, sometimes, referred, sinai, strike, june, 1967, israeli, force, under, mordechai, launched, massive, airstrike, that, destroyed, majority, egyptian, force, ground, fo. Operation Focus Hebrew מבצע מוקד Mivtza Moked was the opening airstrike by Israel at the start of the Six Day War in 1967 It is sometimes referred to as the Sinai Air Strike At 07 45 on 5 June 1967 the Israeli Air Force IAF under Maj Gen Mordechai Hod launched a massive airstrike that destroyed the majority of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground Following Syrian and Jordanian attacks in retaliation the Israeli Air Force proceeded to bomb air bases in those countries By noon the Egyptian Jordanian and Syrian Air Forces totaling about 450 aircraft were destroyed It was also very successful in disabling 18 airfields in Egypt hindering Egyptian air operations for the duration of the war and remains one of the most successful air attack campaigns in military history Operation FocusPart of the Six Day WarIsraeli Air Force officers next to a destroyed Egyptian MiG 21 at Bir Gifgafa Operational scopeAir strikePlanned byIDFObjectiveDestroy Egyptian Jordanian and Syrian aircraftDate5 June 1967Executed byIsraeli Air ForceOutcomeIsraeli victory Israeli air supremacy over Egypt Syria and Jordan Contents 1 Summary 2 Timeline 2 1 5 June 1967 2 2 6 10 June 1967 2 3 Aftermath 2 4 Number of aircraft destroyed by aircraft type 2 5 Number of aircraft destroyed by country 2 6 Totals by waves 3 Other effects 4 References 5 Sources 6 External linksSummary EditThe IAF launched all but 12 of its nearly 200 operational jets 1 in three main waves of aerial attacks and several smaller waves in the days following the operation A total of 452 enemy aircraft were destroyed most of them on the ground That left the IAF in almost complete control of the skies and it was able to assist the Israeli Defense Forces IDF ground units effectively The operational success was achieved by concentrating on the initial destruction of the runways with a new kind of weapon a rocket assisted anti runway warhead The prototype French Israeli anti runway weapon program uses rocket braking over the target to point the warhead directly toward the runway being attacked at a set altitude a second accelerator rocket ignites and drives the warhead through the pavement of the runway before it detonates The explosion creates a small crater over a large new sinkhole meaning the damaged runway section must be completely removed before the sinkhole can be repaired rather than a normal bomb crater which is simply filled in and patched Once the runways were disabled entire air bases complements of aircraft were effectively grounded and fell victim to subsequent attack waves resulting in near total Israeli air supremacy 2 3 Timeline Edit5 June 1967 Edit nbsp Egyptian aircraft destroyed on the groundEgyptian defensive infrastructure was extremely poor and no airfields were yet equipped with hardened aircraft shelters capable of protecting Egypt s warplanes in the event of an attack The Israeli warplanes headed out over the Mediterranean Sea before turning toward Egypt Meanwhile the Egyptians hindered their own defense by effectively shutting down their entire air defense system they were worried that rebel Egyptian forces would shoot down the plane carrying Field Marshal Amer and Lt Gen Sedky Mahmoud who were en route from Almaza Air Base to Bir Tamada in the Sinai to meet the commanders of the troops stationed there In this event it did not make a great deal of difference as the Israeli pilots came in below Egyptian radar cover and well below the lowest point at which Egypt s SA 2 surface to air missile batteries could bring down an aircraft 4 The first Israeli wave attacked 11 bases catching much of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground and destroying them before they got airborne The Israeli jets then returned to Israel were quick turned refueled and re armed in 7 minutes 30 seconds and left in a second wave that attacked 14 Egyptian bases and returned with only minor losses 5 They quick turned again and departed in a third wave The opening stages of Operation Focus were a complete success Egypt s air force of nearly 500 combat aircraft was destroyed in the space of three hours with only minor losses to the Israeli Air Force When Syria Jordan and Iraq attacked Israeli targets in retaliation for the airstrike on Egypt their attacks were mainly directed at civilian targets citation needed and were largely ineffectual In response many of the IAF planes headed for a third strike on Egypt were diverted en route to Syrian and Jordanian targets and other IAF aircraft were sent against Arab ground forces in support of Israeli ground forces By the end of the first day of the Six day War Israel had complete air superiority over Egypt the Golan Heights the West Bank and the entire Sinai desert 6 6 10 June 1967 Edit On the second day of the war 6 June the IAF was used against Egyptian Jordanian Syrian and Iraqi ground forces On the third day 7 June the IAF destroyed hundreds of Egyptian vehicles trying to flee across the Sinai in convoys and trapped thousands more in narrow Sinai passes By the end of the third day Jordan s air force of 34 combat aircraft had essentially ceased to exist By the sixth and final day 10 June Syria had lost approximately 100 combat aircraft and the fighting was over Aftermath Edit During the Six Day War the Israeli Air Force with 250 combat aircraft 7 at its disposal employing 352 sorties had prevailed over a coalition with approximately 600 combat aircraft The IAF destroyed 452 enemy aircraft including 79 in air combat while losing 46 of its own Twenty four Israeli pilots and hundreds of Arab pilots were killed citation needed Number of aircraft destroyed by aircraft type Edit Combat aircraft 148 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 21 Fishbeds 104 from Egypt 32 from Syria 12 from Iraq 29 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 19 Farmers all from Egypt 112 Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 17 Frescos 94 from Egypt 16 from Syria two from Iraq 14 Sukhoi Su 7 Fitters all from Egypt 27 Hawker Hunters 21 from Jordan five from Iraq one from Lebanon Bomber aircraft 31 Tupolev Tu 16 Badgers 30 from Egypt one from Iraq 31 Ilyushin Il 28 Beagles 27 from Egypt two from Syria two from Iraq Transport aircraft 32 Ilyushin Il 14 Crates 30 from Egypt two from Syria 8 Antonov An 12 Cubs all from Egypt 4 Douglas C 47 Skytrains two from Egypt two from Syria Transport helicopters 10 Mil Mi 6 Hooks eight from Egypt two from Syria 6 Mil Mi 4 Hounds two from Egypt four from Syria Number of aircraft destroyed by country Edit nbsp Tail of a downed Egyptian Mikoyan MiG 19Egypt 338 aircraft Syria 61 aircraft Jordan 29 aircraft Iraq 23 aircraft Lebanon 1 aircraft Israel lost 19 aircraft in the operation Totals by waves Edit First wave 7 45 am 101 sorties 11 airfields were attacked by 183 IAF aircraft 197 Egyptian aircraft and 8 radar stations were destroyed Five IAF pilots were killed and five more fell captive Second wave 9 30 am 164 sorties airfields were attacked 107 Egyptian aircraft destroyed Two Syrian planes destroyed in dogfights Third Wave 12 15 pm 85 sorties against Egypt 48 against Jordan 67 against Syria and one against H 3 air base in Iraq Other waves afternoon amp evening two more sorties against H 3 several additional attacks on Egyptian airfields Other effects EditThe effectiveness of the operation showed how vulnerable fixed air base installations were to aerial attacks at the time This caused many nations air forces to develop improved defensive measures against them such as constructing hardened aircraft shelters to protect aircraft on the ground and establishing highway strips as alternative air bases 8 9 References Edit Oren 2002 p 172 Archived copy Archived from the original on 19 October 2013 Retrieved 23 July 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Dassault Mirage The Combat Log Salvador Mafe Huertas page 41 ISBN 978 0 7643 0168 1 Bowen 2003 pp 114 115 author interview with General Salahadeen Hadidi who presided over the first court martial of the heads of the air force and the air defence system after the war Eshel Stanley M Ulanoff David 1985 The fighting Israeli Air Force New York Arco Pub p 43 ISBN 978 0 668 05578 9 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Six Days of War by Michael Oren chapter 3 Oren 2002 p 171 Townshend Charles 2005 The Oxford History of Modern War Oxford University Press p 167 ISBN 978 0 19 280645 1 Andersson Lennart 23 November 2006 Svenska reservvagbaser PDF in Swedish Sources EditEric Hammel October 2002 Sinai air strike June 5 1967 Military Heritage 4 2 68 73 Danni Shalom Like A Bolt Out of the Blue How the Arab Airforces were destroyed in the Six Day War BAVIR Aviation Publications 2002 650 pages hardcover Oren Michael B Six Days of War June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East New York Oxford University Press 2002 Samuel M Katz Israel s Air Force The Power Series Motorbooks International Publishers amp Wholesalers Osceola WI 1991 External links EditIAF official website Six Day War Operation Focus The Winning Air Strike Al Jazeera documentary in English Part 1 on YouTube Al Jazeera documentary in English Part 2 on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Operation Focus amp oldid 1165852484, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
