Tel Nof Israeli Air Force ( he, בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִויר תֵּל נוֹף) , also known as Air Force Base 8, is one of three principal airbases of the

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defens ...

. It is located near Rehovot,

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Tel Nof houses several fighter, helicopter, and airlift squadrons. Also located at the base are several special units of the Israel Defense Forces, including

Unit 669 Airborne Combat Rescue And Evacuation Unit 669 ( he, יחידת החילוץ והפינוי הקרבי בהיטס 669,''Yechidat HaHilu'tz VeHaPinu'i HaKravi Behetes 669'') is the Israel Defense Forces heliborne Combat Search and Rescue extract ...

(airborne combat search and rescue) and the

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

s training center.

History

Tel Nof was founded in July 1939 during the British Mandate as RAF Aqir and served as the main

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

station in Palestine. From the 1948 Arab-Israeli War until 1950, it was known as

Ekron Ekron (Philistine: 𐤏𐤒𐤓𐤍 ''*ʿAqārān'', he, עֶקְרוֹן, translit=ʿEqrōn, ar, عقرون), in the Hellenistic period known as Accaron ( grc-gre, Ακκαρων, Akkarōn}) was a Philistine city, one of the five cities o ...

Airfield. The base housed the IAF flight academy until April 1966 when it was moved to

Hatzerim Airbase Hatzerim Israeli Air Force Base ( he, בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִויר חֲצֵרִים, ''Basis Heil HaAvir Hatzerim'') is an air base of the Israeli Air Force in the Negev Desert on the west outskirts of Beersheba, near Kibbutz Hatze ...

. On 18 October 2011,

Gilad Shalit Gilad Shalit ( he-a, גלעד שליט, Shalit.ogg, ''Gilˁad Šaliṭ'', born 28 August 1986) is a former MIA soldier of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who on 25 June 2006, was captured by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid via tu ...

, an Israeli soldier who had been held captive by

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...

in Gaza for over five years and four months, returned to Israel via Tel Nof as part of a deal to exchange Shalit for 1,027 prisoners.

Nuclear weapons

Tel Nof airbase is located a few miles from the

Sdot Micha Airbase Sdot Micha Airbase (in Hebrew: ) is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) missile base and depot, whose existence Israel neither confirms nor denies. It is situated in the center of Israel, halfway from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea and extends nearly 1 ...

complex, where nuclear weapons for its missions are reportedly stored. Just to the south of the Zachariah Jericho 2 training pad are several hardened bunkers that house nuclear gravity bombs for aircraft at the Tel Nof airbase a few kilometers to the northwest (see

Nuclear weapons and Israel The State of Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons. Estimates of Israel's stockpile range between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads, and the country is believed to possess the ability to deliver them in several methods, including ...

Units

* 106th Squadron - operating F-15C/D * 114th Squadron - operating

CH-53 The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It was originally developed in response to a request from the United States ...

* 118th Squadron - operating CH-53 * 133rd Squadron - operating F-15C/D * 210th Squadron - operating

IAI Eitan The IAI Eitan (איתן – "Steadfast"; export designation Heron TP) is an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft developed in Israel in the early 21st century by the Malat division of Israel Aerospace Industries.Egozi 2008 The aircraft is a newer v ...

UAVs * Flight Test Center *

, airborne combat search and rescue. *Paratrooper Training Center

RAF Aqir Operational units

Vickers Wellington - Royal Air Force in the Middle East, 1944-1945

Operational units of the

stationed at RAF Aqir from 1941 to 1948. * No. 6 Squadron RAF (1941)

Westland Lysander The Westland Lysander is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War. After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft's ...

* No. 10 Squadron RAF detachment (1942)

Handley Page Halifax The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester. The Halifax has its orig ...

* No. 11 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV *

No. 32 Squadron RAF Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron (sometimes abbreviated as No. 32 (TR) Squadron) of the Royal Air Force operates in the Very Important Person, VIP and general air transport roles from RAF Northolt in Greater London. Originally formed in 1916 as ...

(1946) Supermarine Spitfire IX *

No. 37 Squadron RAF No. 37 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron of the First and Second World Wars. History First World War No. 37 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at RFC Orfordness, Suffolk, on 15 April 1916 as an experimental squadron, but i ...

(1945) Consolidated Liberator VI *

No. 45 Squadron RAF Number 45 Squadron is a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron, which was established on 1 March 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, currently provides flying training using Embraer Phenom T1s and operates under the command ...

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV *

No. 55 Squadron RAF No. 55 Squadron Royal Air Force, commonly abbreviated 55 Sqn RAF, is a formerly active flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was formed on , as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). No. 55 Squadron was the last RAF squadron to o ...

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV * No. 70 Squadron RAF (1945) Consolidated Liberator VI *

No. 76 Operational Training Unit RAF No. 76 Operational Training Unit RAF (76 OTU) was a Royal Air Force operational training unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed at RAF Aqir on 1 October 1943. Throughout its existence it was equipped with Vickers Wellington ...

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its ...

- Formed at RAF Aqir on 1 October 1943, equipped with Vickers Wellington Mk.IIIs and Xs to train night bomber crews for squadrons in the Middle East, disbanding on 30 July 1945. 76 OTU, despite operating Wellingtons, were also working up crews for B-24 Liberators. After completion of their course those crews were passed on to Liberator conversion units. *

No. 80 Squadron RAF No. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II. Establishment and early service Founded on 1 August 1917 at RAF Montrose, equipped ...

(1941) Hawker Hurricane I *

No. 84 Squadron RAF No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, using the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently one of the two operational parts of the RAF Search and Rescue Force left in ser ...

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV * No. 113 Squadron RAF (1946–1947)

No. 159 Squadron RAF No. 159 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that was active as a bomber, mine-laying, reconnaissance and transport unit in the Second World War. History Formation in World War I The original 159 Squadron was to be formed during the Fir ...

(1942) Consolidated Liberator II *

No. 160 Squadron RAF No. 160 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force unit during the World War II, Second World War, when it flew for four years in a number of roles including Bomber, heavy bomber, Minelayer, minelaying, Aerial reconnaissance, reconnaissance, special ope ...

(1942) Consolidated Liberator II *

No. 162 Squadron RAF No. 162 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a radio jamming/calibration and light bomber unit in World War II. History Formation and World War I No. 162 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 June 1918 but it was not equi ...

(1942)

later Bristol Blenheim IV *

No. 208 Squadron RAF No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft ...

(1941)

Hawker Audax The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...

and (1946) Supermarine Spitfire VIII * No. 211 Squadron RAF (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV * No. 215 Squadron RAF (1947)

Douglas Dakota The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

* No. 221 Squadron RAF detachment (1945) Vickers Wellington XII * No. 227 Squadron RAF (1942)

No. 250 Squadron RAF No. 250 (Sudan) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron formed as a reconnaissance and anti–submarine unit in the First World War and a fighter unit in the Second World War. History No. 250 Squadron was formed on 10 May 1918 at Padstow ...

(1941) Curtiss Tomhawk IIB * No. 294 Squadron RAF detachment (1944) Vickers Wellington IC * No. 335 Squadron RAF (1941) Hawker Hurricane I *

No. 450 Squadron RAAF No. 450 Squadron was a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) that operated during World War II. Established at RAAF Base Williamtown, RAAF Station Williamtown, New South Wales, in February 1941, it was the first Australian Article ...

(1941) Hawker Hurricane I * No. 620 Squadron RAF (1946)

and

* No. 621 Squadron RAF (1946) Avro Lancaster ASRIII * No. 680 Squadron RAF detachment (1945)

Fairchild Argus The Fairchild Model 24, also called the Fairchild Model 24 Argus and UC-61 Forwarder, is a four-seat, single-engine monoplane light transport aircraft designed by the Fairchild Aviation Corporation in the 1930s. It was adopted by the United Sta ...

References

Bibliography

External links

Tel Nof from globalsecurity.org
{{authority control Israeli Air Force bases Buildings and structures in Rehovot

RAF Aqir The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...