Nicmknamed 'Lahatut' (trick), Israeli Defenders were equipped with a turret mounted electro-optical sight and four TOW missiles, two on each side of the fuselage, although these could be replaced by rocket launchers (picture on the left show both configurations). The helicopters' first operational sortie came only three months after the formation of their squadron, when two Defenders attacked a terrorist installation in southern Lebanon during July 1980. In the years before the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the helicopters saw a great deal of action in fighting with Palestinian terrorists operating from southern Lebanon against Israel's northern borders. Only with the launching of operation "Peace for Galilee" on June 6th 1982 however, was the Defender able to demonstrate its full abilities.
The helicopters of the "Shooting Lightning" squadron assisted Israeli ground forces in the fighting that erupted at the Lebanese-Israeli border and accompanied them all the way north to the Beirut-Damascus highway and the Lebanese capital itself. Defenders took part in all aspects of the fighting and played a large number of varied roles. At first attacking Palestianian terrorist cells, armour and anti aircraft guns, their most important roles were in confronting the Syrian forces that entered the fighting on June 9th. In the world's first tank vs. anti-tank helicopter battle, IAF Defenders attacked Syrian armour engaged with Israeli armour on the Beirut-Damascus highway, in one of the largest tank battles in Israeli history.
Besides the destruction of Syrian armour, the Defenders also played an important part in the destruction of the Syrian SAM array in the Bekaa valley, flying in low to destroy ground based radars which might have detected incoming fighter bombers. During the fighting with Syrian armour, a single 'Lahatut' was shot down after Syrian tanks detected a pair and fired at them. Although the helicopters were not hit directly, shrapnel from an exploding shell destroyed the tail and rear propeller of one of them, causing it to crash.Operation "Peace for Galilee" did not bring about an end to fighting between Israel and Lebanese based guerrillas and Defenders continued to take part in operations against these during the 1980s and 90s. In July 1993 Israel launched operation "Accountability" and IAF 500MDs once again went into action, attacking 20 targets on the first day alone. By the mid 1990s, with the arrival of more AH-1 Cobras and the new AH-64 Apaches, the Defenders were withdrawn from front line service. The helicopters continued to serve with the IAF flight school, training pilots for service with the front line squadrons. They were retired shortly later.
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