Engineering:Netz 107
| Netz 107 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Netz 107 on display during Israel Independence Day | |
| Type | General Dynamics F-16A block 10 Fighting Falcon (Netz) |
| Serial | 107 |
| First flight | 1980 |
| Owners and operators | Israeli Air Force / IDF/AF |
| In service | 2 July 1980 |
| Last flight | 2015 |
| Preserved at | Preserved on display at the Israeli Air Force Museum. |
Netz 107 is a General Dynamics F-16A block 10 Fighting Falcon of the Israeli Air Force , tail number 107. Netz 107 participated in Operation Opera, bombing the Osiraq nuclear reactor, and was later credited with 6.5 enemy aircraft kills, a world record number of kills for an F-16.[1]
Operational service
The first F-16A/B Netz fighters arrived in Israel during 1980 and were issued to 117 Squadron (Israel) of the Israeli Air Force . Netz 107 was the first F-16 to touch Israeli soil when it landed on 2 July 1980 at Ramat David Airbase.
On 7 June 1981 Netz 107 took part in Operation Opera, piloted by Amos Yadlin, and was the second F-16 to strike the Osiraq nuclear reactor after wing leader Zeev Raz.
Netz 107 scored its first aerial kill on 21 April 1982 when pilot Zeev Raz shot down a Syrian Air Force MiG-23. During Operation Peace for Galilee it shot down 6 more Syrian aircraft. On 9 June 1982, Eliezer Shkedi shot down two MiG-23s, although one was shared with another pilot. On Friday 11 June 1982 pilot Eytan Stibbe shot down four Syrian aircraft.
Several years later Netz 107 was re-allocated to 253 Squadron (Israel) along with other F-16A/Bs. In 2015 it was retired from service and put on display at the Israeli Air Force Museum.
Kills
| Date | Pilot | Weapon | Shot down aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 June 1981 | Amos Yadlin | Mark 84 Bomb | Iraqi Osirak Nuclear reactor |
| 21 April 1982 | Zeev Raz | AIM-9 Sidewinder | Syrian MiG-23 |
| 9 June 1982 | Eliezer Shkedi | AIM-9 Sidewinder | Syrian MiG-23 (shared kill) |
| 9 June 1982 | Eliezer Shkedi | AIM-9 Sidewinder | Syrian MiG-23 |
| 11 June 1982 | Eytan Stibbe | AIM-9 Sidewinder | Syrian MiG-23 |
| 11 June 1982 | Eytan Stibbe | AIM-9 Sidewinder | Syrian Sukhoi Su-22 |
| 11 June 1982 | Eytan Stibbe | M61A1 Vulcan gun | Syrian Sukhoi Su-22 |
| 11 June 1982 | Eytan Stibbe | missile | Syrian Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter |
References
- ↑ Record-breaking F-16 Falcon to be retired from IDF service, ynet, 11 February 2015
External links
- אלוף ההפלות: זהו איתן סטיבה – האסטרונאוט הישראלי October 2020 (Hebrew)
- IAF F-16s kill tallies in F-16.net
- Record-breaking F-16 Falcon to be retired from IDF service, ynet, 11 February 2015
- xnir photography, IAF F-16 Netz 107 photo gallery in Flickr
- מטוס האף־16 שהפיל הכי הרבה מטוסי אויב פורש לפנסיה במוזיאון חיל האוויר, ידיעות אחרונות, 9 February 2015 (Hebrew)
- איתן סטיבה מתאר הפלת 2 מטוסי סוחוי-22, מטוס מיג 23 ומסוק גאזל ב-11.6.1982 , באתר "מרקיע שחקים" (Hebrew)
- IAF F-16 Netz 107, photos in Flickr
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