Working as a military correspondent often takes you to fascinating places. Sensitive meetings with senior officials in all the security branches in which dramatic information is discussed; visits out on the ground often in combat zones, and participation in operational activity or training – at sea, in the air, and on land.
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In the 37 years that I have been closely escorting the security forces, I have had the chance to visit many units and be in an infinite number of combat vehicles. From tanks and APCs of all kinds, through almost every possible seacraft above and below the water, to various airplanes and helicopters, and even a flight on an F15i ("Thunder"). But I have not yet flown in one vehicle: a combat helicopter. Experiencing up close and in person a flight in a war machine, gets less credit than it deserves.
In honor of Israel's 75th Independence Day, I arrived at the Israeli Air Force base in Ramon, where the two combat helicopter squadrons are located, to fly an Apache. I have visited the Israeli Air Force dozens of times in the past, but this was unlike any other visit – and not only because of the flight.
The Israeli Air Force is currently in a strange, complex, unprecedented period. On the one hand, the security reality is complicated on every front possible, with a considerable chance of escalation, and perhaps even war, on several fronts at the same time. On the other hand, the growing controversy surrounding the legal legislation that also affects the IDF, and the Israeli Air Force, with many pilots involved in the protest.
The need to handle both of these at the same time poses a complex challenge to the commanders in the army. They are required to juggle between maintaining a high level of training and readiness and intensive care of the personnel to ensure that competence is maintained. This puts a particularly heavy burden on the entire chain of command, and especially on the squadron commanders – the spearhead of the Israeli Air Force.
"This is an unprecedented period," says Lt. Col. A, commander of Squadron 190 (the "Magic Touch" squadron). "We have not had such command challenges in the past. Naturally, when society is in crisis and under pressure, then the nation's army is also affected by it. As a commander, I do everything to maintain the competence and cohesion of the unit, and we deal with this every day. But the reality here is different than it seems outside: it's a reality of people who look each other in the eye, know what their common mission is and come to do things together.
A combat legacy that began in Vietnam
The combat helicopters are a consequence of the Vietnam War. The Americans realized that the helicopters could be taken, armed, and used in battle on the ground. The Cobra was the first combat helicopter, and models of it still are used by the Marines in the United States Army. They arrived in the IDF in the early 1980s, at the same time as the Defender helicopters. The Israeli Air Force used them for a variety of tasks – from assisting the ground forces with targeted countermeasures and rescuing troops.
There were two such notable cases during that period when the IDF stayed and operated intensively in Lebanon. The first one, the 1986 rescue of the Phantom pilot Yishai Aviram who was forced to abandon his plane during an attack sortie in Lebanon, gained publicity because his navigator, Ron Arad, ditched and was captured by The Amal organization and subsequently its traces disappeared. The second was the 1988 rescue of combat soldiers from Operation Blue and Brown, in which IDF forces raided the headquarters of Ahmed Jibril's organization in the Lebanese coastal town of Noaima.
Even earlier, in the First Lebanon War, the combat helicopters participated in the campaign against the Syrian army and destroyed dozens of Syrian tanks as part of the assistance to the IDF forces operating deep in Lebanon. After the first Gulf War in 1991, in which the Americans made massive use of Apache helicopters manufactured by Boeing – whose name was taken from the well–known Indian tribe – who were considered the next generation of combat helicopters because they were equipped with advanced technologies and weapon systems, mainly "Hellfire" missiles.
The IDF received the first Apache helicopters in the early 1990s. They were received by Squadron 113 (the "wasp" squadron), which reopened in September 1990 as a combat helicopter squadron, after previously being a fighter jet squadron. The most famous attack carried out by this squadron was the assassination of Hezbollah's leader, Abbas Mousavi, in 1992. This assassination turned out years later to be a double–edged sword: The person who succeeded him as the leader of the organization was Hassan Nasrallah, who turned out to be a much more talented and charismatic leader than his predecessor, and also a much more dangerous enemy to Israel.
Squadron 190 received its Apache helicopters in the mid–1990s. Until then, the Defender helicopters were used, which were gradually withdrawn from service. Following them, the Cobra helicopters were also grounded and sold in the last decade. Today, the Israeli Air Force operates two Apache squadrons of two models: the Magic Touch squadron operates an Apache model A known in the Israeli Air Force as "Patan", and the Wasp squadron operates Apache model D (Longbow) known as "Sharaf" in the Israeli Air Force. In terms of structure, it is the same helicopter, the "Sheraf" model has a more advanced avionics system. Over the years, the IDF has also improved the systems in the "Patan" helicopters, so that the two helicopters have similar capabilities, and the two squadrons share the on–call rounds and missions, and often they also operate jointly.
The combat helicopters in both squadrons (as well as in the Cobra squadrons) played a central role in the major operations conducted by the IDF in southern Lebanon – "Accountability" and "Grapes of Wrath" – and also in the fighting in the West Bank and Gaza with the outbreak of the second intifada at the beginning of the current millennium. During that period, Israel assassinated a larger number of terrorist leaders, most of which were carried out from the air. In Ramallah, the leader of the PFLP, Abu Ali Mustafa, was killed, and in Gaza senior Hamas officials Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, and Adnan al-Ghoul. Following this, the combat helicopters also played a central role in all the major operations conducted by the IDF in Gaza – "Cast Lead" and "Protective Edge" in assisting the ground forces, and "Pillar of Defense" and "Guardian of the Walls" in attacking targets in the Gaza Strip and protecting the Gaza border.
"Our first and main mission is to assist the ground forces," says Lt. Col. A. "This is true in every operational description: in special operations and routine operations and also in any type of war, of greater or lesser intensity, and of course in our readiness to protect the country's borders. We also deal with defending the country's skies, especially against the objects that have low radar cross-section, which are currently in the headlines. We deal with this a lot, and it is part of our daily operational tasks."
These are aircraft, mostly unmanned, that fly slowly and low, so it is sometimes difficult for the radar to locate them, which makes it difficult to intercept them. "Helicopters, aircraft that also fly slowly and low, can locate them and destroy them if necessary." Thus, an Apache helicopter intercepted in February 2018 an Iranian drone that infiltrated Israel. The IDF followed the flight path of the UAV that took off from Syria, and combat helicopters downed it over the Golan Heights, in Israeli territory, so that its fragments could be collected and examined.
The combat helicopters also played a central role in the Second Lebanon War, mainly in assisting the ground forces. This was done at a heavy price: a technical fault caused an Apache helicopter to crash which resulted in the deaths of the pilots, and human error caused an accident in which two Apache helicopters collided – one of the pilots was killed and the other pilot was seriously injured. He recovered and later became a paralympic tennis champion. The pilot of the second helicopter, Uri Sagi, who previously was the commander of the Magic Touch Squadron (and now the founding CEO of Alexander Brewery), managed to land safely, in what is considered an unprecedented professional achievement in the world.
We still want a combat soldier in the cockpit
The world of operational aviation has experienced significant revolutions in recent decades: from advanced stealth capabilities to an increased reliance on unmanned aircraft that currently perform a significant portion of the missions – from photography and surveillance even to attack. The Israeli Air Force is a major player in these revolutions: Israel is considered a global pioneer in the field of drones (mainly attack drones) and was the first to operate the stealthy F-35 aircraft in operational activity, including attacking various targets in the Middle East.
These revolutions largely bypassed the world of combat helicopters. Although the helicopters themselves are much more advanced than before – in avionics, technology, and the military – but the entire field remains quite conservative, similar to its beginnings about 50 years ago. "The Israeli Air Force wants to preserve the manned platforms as much as possible," says the squadron commander.
"There is a big difference when there is a combat soldier in the cockpit, and many times the soldier is needed, certainly the more complex the plan, when the weather is more challenging, when the fighting is more complicated, and you have to assist closely, in such intimacy with the army and Israeli Air Force, when you hear from each other and understand exactly what It is required of you and what the mission is. Therefore, all the armies in the world still keep soldiers in the cockpit, because they are the ones who are able to reach the battlefield, understand the situation, decide what the mission is, and carry it out in the best way possible."
The advantage of the combat helicopter array is its versatility. "We know how to focus on different tasks, and perform them all well," says Lt. Col. A. "But our relative advantage is with the battle on the ground because we can make the difference at a point where the battle is complex and challenging, or under weather conditions in which other vessels cannot help – that's where we come in."
Lt. Col. A, commander of the "Magic Touch" squadron: "My job is to maintain the squadron's competence. People should come here and see things with their own eyes, remember the mission, and understand that there are things bigger than us. For a moment I did not feel that the competence of the squadron was compromised. We are very united and strong, and carry out the tasks"
As part of this, the combat helicopters are linked to the ground forces through joint communication systems: Elbit's "Beacon 750" system, which is currently used by the army and enables mapping and orientation with unprecedented resolutions, is also installed in the combat helicopters so that the pilots can view the battle exactly as seen by the forces on the ground so that they can optimally assist them.
In this intimate proximity to the troops and the ground, there are quite a few dangers. It allows the enemy to more easily hit the combat helicopters. In the Afghanistan war, the Americans provided shoulder–fired missiles to the insurgents, which allowed them to target Soviet helicopters. A generation later, the insurgents in Iraq used Soviet shoulder–fired missiles to target the American helicopters that operated in the country during and after the 2003 Iraq War. The IDF is considered a pioneer in this field as well, with advanced electronic warfare systems installed on the combat helicopters in order to protect them from enemy threats.
There are threats where the low and slow flight is an advantage compared to the fighter planes, and there are places where we are more threatened. We don't neglect it for a second, and train for it all the time," he says. "We understand that the enemy is trying to challenge us, and fly accordingly, even if it requires us to fly a little farther, or arrive at different angles – whatever will allow us to accomplish the mission."
Q: In 50 years will there still be combat helicopters?
"50 years is a long time away to examine, and it's hard to say if there will be manned platforms at all, but looking at 10–20 years ahead – I'm sure there will be. The challenges are endless, and it's not certain that on unmanned platforms we'll be able to deal with them all. On the other hand, on manned platforms, the pilots are always relevant and always available, and we are the only ones who can face these challenges."
And the current challenges, as mentioned, are more complex than in the past. The last month – with explosions in every possible arena: Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Judea and Samaria, and also in East Jerusalem – sharpened the need for a capable and deadly Israeli Air Force.
"What this means for us is that we can no longer train on just one arena. We must train on every type. This requires more commitment from the people and much more engagement. People understand the challenge that exists both in the internal arena, both within the borders and far from the borders. We deal with it all the time, every arena has its own complexity, although currently, our greatest and most complex challenges are in the north."
Q; When you get to the squadron – make a cut
He is 37 years old, married plus two, and lives on the Ramon Base. He completed the pilot's course in helicopters, flew most of the years in the "Sharaf" squadron and for the past year and a half has been commander of the "Patan" squadron (with an inter–Lebin position in the ground cooperation unit, where he was responsible for assisting the maneuvering forces). According to him, the current period is the most challenging that he has known, due to the combination between the operational intensity and the upheaval experienced by the country as a result of the legal legislation.
"I talk to every reservist once a week on the phone," he says, "and I talk face–to–face with everyone who comes. It's important to me to interact with everyone, to see that they successfully transition from civilian back to combat fighter. When entering the briefing, I ask to make sure that everything that happens outside remains outside. Make a cut. Leave Twitter. We can talk about everything later during the debriefing, but the task is a task, and it is our duty to carry it out properly."
Q: As we have seen in recent months, it is not simple.
"Everyone faces the challenges differently and sees reality differently and experiences the squadron differently. My role is to maintain the competence of the squadron and hold the people together. I realized that for this to happen the people need to hear me a lot, talk to me, come here and see things with their own eyes – To see the squadron, to remember the mission, the responsibility, to understand that there are things that are bigger than us, that we must take care of because without security we will not have all the other things in the country. Not for a moment have I felt that the competence of the squadron was compromised. We feel very united and strong, and carry out the missions ours every day".
There has been a lot of talk recently about a rift within the squadrons between the crews in the air and on the ground. The Israeli Air Force claims that this is not true and that unit cohesion has been maintained the whole time. Major T., the technical officer of Squadron 190, confirms this: "It looks different from the outside than it does here. We are working. There are quite a few challenges – training, operational activity, and preparation. The current period is particularly intense. People don't have time for other things."
He is 31 years old, married plus 2, and also lives on the base, originally from Nahariya. The squadron, he says, is a nature reserve. What happens on base is cut off from the outside world. "We are attentive to the noises, but they are not expressed here – neither with the conscripted soldiers nor with the reservists. The squadron is a family, where the air and ground crews behave and conduct matters together. We are all a family that shares a common destiny."
The ground crews consist almost exclusively of conscripted soldiers and permanent personnel (reservists only stay prepared in case war breaks out). In contrast, the aircrews rely significantly on reservists. Lt. Col. A says that 60% of his squadron are reservists, and 40% are conscripted soldiers. Beyond dealing with the protest, his challenge is to keep the good ones in the forces after their conscripted service has finished instead of giving in to the temptations of returning to the civilian world.
"Working outside the armed forces is always a little easier, the pay is a little better, and everything is a little more pleasant," he says. "But there is one thing here that cannot be replaced, and that is the sense of mission and satisfaction that people feel – and that is what we sell. Being part of this complex task of protecting the security of the country."
Q: Today, there is quite a lot of discussion around the pilot course as well – who gets chosen for them, and where do they come from? Is this still where the best are?
"I meet those who come to me from there, and they are the best. Excellent children. On the one hand, very smart and talented, and on the other hand, very brave and committed to the task. They are the first to volunteer and do and of the highest quality."
Q: And can you say that you have representation in your squadron for the entire Israeli mosaic, or is it a homogeneous unit?
"I look at the squadron, and I see all of Israeli society – Tel Aviv and Ramat Hasharon and the Krayot, the north and the center and the Arava. You meet everyone here."
Q: After so many years do you still enjoy flying?
"Of course! You'll see in a moment״
We go down to the briefing in the squadron's briefing room. Even earlier, I was sent to put on a flight suit with the squadron's insignia on it. Following that, a helmet suits me. Unlike the pilots' helmets, which are made in a special casting according to the structure of each pilot, my helmet has passed several heads before me, and it is relatively outdated because it is not possible to project all the data on its lenses.
I receive an aerial photo of four sheds, which according to the intelligence, the weapons are in the southwestern shed between them. We are intended to reach it from the south, to enable an optimal hit on the target with minimal exposure to threats from the ground
The briefing includes some history about the squadron, and then about the role of the combat helicopters in the Israeli Air Force and the IDF, including films of military operations from the distant and recent past. In general, there are four missions: attack (mainly intelligence–oriented, i.e. in pre–planned operations), helicopter escort Sa'ar (in missions of landing special forces in deep operations, rescuing pilots, and more), protecting the country's skies (against the intrusion of hostile elements) and assisting the ground forces.
We also get an overview of the different arenas. In the north, there is Lebanon and Syria, from participation in military operations (from struggles to wars) to prepare for days of battle that may develop. In Gaza, it is the task of defending the fence (including from Palestinians that approach it) and participating in operations. In Judea and Samaria, with assistance and surveillance. in Sinai in preventing the infiltration of terrorists, smugglers, and job seekers. And at the same time as all of these – a host of other actions, including quite a few searches for missing people on challenging routes to rescue them.
Do not come back unscathed
Our mission involves flying high into Gaza, "attacking" a target, then returning at low altitude to the base, outlining a secret flight plan deep in enemy territory. The target of the mock attack – which of course is supposed to be carried out from a distance, without risking the helicopter or a real threat to Gaza – is a shed in the south of the Gaza Strip, which allegedly store weapons. I receive an aerial photograph of four sheds, which according to the intelligence, the weapons are in the southwestern shed between them. We are intended to reach the location from the south, to enable an optimal hit on the target with minimal exposure to threats from the ground.
From the briefing, we go to the helicopter itself. Unlike fighter jets, where the pilot sits in front and steers from behind, combat helicopters are arranged in reverse: Lt. Col. A sits in the back, in the place reserved for the pilot, and I sit in front, in the place reserved for the machine gunner (who is also a pilot who knows how to operate all the aircraft's systems). The pilot sits in an elevated cabin that allows him to see optimally, and the navigator can easily locate the targets and hit them.
I climb the small ladder and enter the helicopter. The entrance is crowded, and basically, you enter half-standing and then sit down. The belt is like that of the aircrews on all airplanes: two harnesses that come down from the shoulders and two straps that come from the waist, one on each side, which all connect to a kind of wheel that turns to open. Another helmet adjustment, and before that I put on the hair-protecting bonnet (or as Lt. Col. A says: "Let's make sure you don't come back bald.")
The next step is conducting a contact test: Lt. Col. A is in front of the control tower, and then he is in front of me. He checks if I hear him and if he hears me. He asks me to bring the mouthpiece closer to my mouth because the air conditioning is making noise which is interfering with the communication connection (yes, there is air conditioning in the cockpit, after all – this is the Middle East). Lt. Col. A also recommends that I raise the seat so that I can see better during the flight. A little pull on the handle under the chair, and my head touches the ceiling of the helicopter and I can perfectly see all around me.
On operational flights, the Apache helicopter is armed with missiles for a range of up to 12 km (7.4 miles) and a gun that is effective mainly for the tasks of holding down the enemy and rescuing soldiers. None of us take the risk of a malfunction, and the real weapons remain on the ground. We are supposed to attack a virtual target virtually, and I am warned not to return to base without "Alpha" – the code name for striking a target.
However, life is more complex than the briefing room. After lengthy preparations – which also include a briefing on the ground where I receive an explanation of the devices I am required to operate, and especially what I am not allowed to touch (generally, everything that is red or yellow) – we receive permission to take off. A short drive to the take-off point, a two–minute wait until a pair of "Sofa" planes land, and the approval is given.
We take off and fly a bit in the Mitzpe Ramon area to make sure all the helicopter systems are working properly. But then it turns out that there is a malfunction with the helicopter's generator, and Lt. Col. A says that the malfunction that will not allow us to fly all the way to Gaza. This is relatively unusual, but it is a known malfunction – the combat helicopters fly at a high intensity (the 190th squadron flies an unimaginable amount of about 4,200 hours a year in operational activity and training), and the helicopters experience malfunctions. The Israeli Air Force does not take any chances or put itself at any risk. When I ask Lt. Col. A if this means that the Apaches are close to the end of their lives, he laughs: the helicopter is built to live for about 10,000 flight hours, and the Apaches that the IDF operates have barely flown half of that.
Those who like amusement parks will enjoy the flight. It's not a fighter plane, but it's totally extreme. The speed, the maneuvers, the height (or more correctly the lack thereof) – it makes you lose your breath time and time again. During every flight, you entrust your life to the pilot, but you don't see during every flight you see a mountain approaching you at breakneck speed.
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