Ramon Airbase

Ramon Airbase (בסיס חיל-האוויר רמון, Basis Hayil-HaAvir Ramon, lit. Ramon Air Force Base) is an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base in the Negev desert, 50 km south of Beersheba and 20 km northwest of the town Mitzpe Ramon. The base and the town got their names from the huge "erosion crater" Makhtesh Ramon south of it. The base is also titled Kanaf 25 (כנף 25, lit. Wing 25), it was formerly known as Matred.

History
The Ramon Airbase was built as the result of joint Israeli and US government funding as part of the IAF's redeployment out of its bases Eitam, Etzion, Ofira and Refidim in the Sinai after the peninsula was handed over to Egypt following the 1978 Camp David Accords. It was constructed from 1979 to 1982 by US companies together with the bases Nevatim and Ovda.

After its completion, it took over some of the aircraft stationed at the four Sinai bases, on the one hand A-4H/N Skyhawk Ayit light strike fighters and on the other hand F-16A/B Netz fighter jets.

In September 1990, the first AH-64A Apache Peten attack helicopters arrived at Ramon, joined in 2005 by the improved AH-64D Apache Longbow Saraf. They were absorbed by 113 Squadron "Hornet" and 190 Squadron "Magic Touch" (see also "Units").

In January 2005, the 119 Squadron "Bat" at Ramon was the first to fly the new F-16I Sufa jet adapted to Israeli needs. Shortly afterwards, the 253 Squadron "Negev" and the 201 Squadron "The One" there were also equipped with F-16I jets (see also "Units").

On 6 September 2007, in Operation Outside the Box, four F-15I Ra'am of the "Hammers" Squadron from Hatzerim Airbase and four F-16Is from Ramon attacked an almost completed nuclear reactor in Syria and destroyed it in order to prevent Syria from building its own nuclear bombs (see gallery directly below).

2024 Iranian attacks against Israel
On 13 April, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran fired large numbers of missiles and drones into Israel in response to Israel's strike against the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Iranian state-run media outlets reported that Ramon Airbase was struck by seven missiles. An IDF spokesperson confirmed only that a military base in southern Israel was slightly damaged.

Current
Currently (as of 2024), in addition to the three F-16I Sufa squadrons, two squadrons of AH-64A/D Apache (Longbow) Peten/Saraf attack helicopters are based here, the only ones in Israel.

For many years there have been considerations of purchasing new AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters from Boeing, but this has so far failed due to the costs.

Units

 * 113 Squadron "Hornet" – operating AH-64D Apache Longbow Saraf
 * 119 Squadron "Bat" – operating F-16I Sufa
 * 190 Squadron "Magic Touch" – operating AH-64A Apache Peten
 * 201 Squadron "The One" – operating F-16I Sufa
 * 253 Squadron "Negev" – operating F-16I Sufa
 * Special units of the IDF: 427th Meitar Unit of the 214th David's Sling Brigade

Note: IAF aircraft can usually be assigned to their squadron by the symbols on the tail

Accidents



 * On 29 April 1964, a Nord Noratlas 2501D of the IAF (Aircraft registration 4X-FAD/044) flew into a mountain near the Ramon Airbase. In this CFIT (Controlled flight into terrain) all 9 occupants were killed, the two pilots and the 7 passengers. It was the former GC+231 of the German Air Force.


 * In May 1983, an F-15D Eagle Baz and a A-4 Skyhawk Ayit collided in mid-air during an exercise over the Negev Desert in southern Israel. While the A-4 pilot ejected, the two-seat F-15D managed to land safely at the nearby Ramon base, although its right wing was almost completely torn off in the collision. This was only possible because the F-15 pilot turned on the afterburners, compensating for the lack of lift. The landing took place at about twice the normal speed, and the jet only came to a stop shortly before the end of the runway.


 * On 10 November 2010, an F-16I Sufa of the 119 Squadron "Bat" crashed over the Makhtesh Ramon during an exercise. The pilot and navigator died in the crash. It was the second crash of this type of aircraft in the IAF.


 * On 5 October 2016, an F-16I Sufa from 119 Squadron crashed while landing at the base. As a result of the crash, the pilot was killed. The navigator saved himself with the ejector seat and was only slightly injured.


 * On 10 February 2018, an Israeli F-16I Sufa was shot down by the Syrian air defenses after conducting an air raid on Iran-backed positions inside Syrian territory. The pilot and the navigator could eject and were injured. The jet crashed into a hillside near kibbutz Harduf in northern Israel, which lost its first warplane in 35 years.