Israel celebrated Air Force Day with a demonstration of the latest combat technology and the presentation of wings to a new crop of pilots at ceremonies attended by Defense Minister Ezer Weizman and Air Force Commander Gen. David Ivri at a base in the south of the country. Some of that equipment was put through its paces. The Cobra helicopter demonstrated its maneuverability as an anti-tank weapon. The American-built Hawkeye early warning and spotter plane which has already seen action in the skies over Lebanon, detected “enemy” aircraft at a range of 260 miles and flashed the information to interceptor planes. Formations of French-made Fouga Magestere training planes, American F-15 fighters and the Israel-made Kfir interceptors flew in formations forming a giant Star of David.
Israel’s Navy also had something to celebrate. Its newest missile boat was launched at the Israel Shipyards on Haifa Bay. The craft, which will carry a crew of 45 officers and men and the latest improved Gabriel surface-to-surface missiles, has a cruising range of 3000 nautical miles.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
