Israeli Air Force Miscellaneous Aircraft
Grumman OV-1 Mohawk (Atalef)
The Mohawk was designed for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, the first flown in April 1959. Originaly developed as a
visual and photographic aircraft, the strides made in the field of airborne tactical reconnaissance have packed the airframe
with sensors and other electronic equipment. The U.S. Army retired the last of its Mohawks in 1996, but the type is still
active with the Argentinian army.
The need for a tactical reconnaissance platform arose from the lessons of the Yom-Kippur war of 1973. 2 Mohawks (4X-JRB was
one of them) were purchased for the IAF in early 1974 and incorporated into a transport squadron, where they were operated by 5 pilots
and 5 navigators. Using its sideways looking
equipment the type was used to detect and map enemy force concetrations beyond Israel's borders, especially along the
Syrian and Lebanese borders which were especially volatile at the time. The two planes were a key intelligence asset during
their 8 years of service, providing coverage of Syrian operations in the north and giving insight into enemy movements and intensions. On a number on occasions
the type participated in covert near- and cross-border operations, covering elite forces on the ground. The Mohawks were
finally retired in early 1982 following the destruction of one in an accidental fire, although some sources indicate the remaining aircraft did fly some sorties during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, providing intelligence for the Israeli army.
The remaining Mohawk was returned to the U.S. Army and served for a while in Europe and possibly, Desert Storm. It is still
airworthy today and currently belongs to the American Wings Air Museum in Minneapolis, registered as 68-76021. Named as the
Most Original Warbird at Oshkosh 1996, it was damaged returning from the show but was repaired and is flyable again.
Paul Reed and Larry Whitehead have provided
me with the current info about the former IAF Mohawk.
Specification: Grumman OV-1D Mohawk
Type: tactical reconnaissance aircraft.
Powerplant: 2 * Lycoming T53-L-701 turboprop engines
Performance: max speed - 305mph, service ceiling - 7620m, range - 1080 miles.
Weights: empty - 5333kg, max takeoff - 8164kg.
Dimensions: span - 14.63m, length - 13.69m, height - 3.86m.
Armament: none.
Israel Aircraft Industries Seascan
After a number of penetrations by terrorists of Israel's beaches,
especially the March 1975 takeover of the Savoy hotel in Tel-Aviv, the IAF saw the need for a maritime patrol aircraft to
effectively monitor Israel's shoreline. Developed from IAI's Westwind business jet, the Seascan entered IAF service in May
1978 and was nicknamed "Shahaf" (Seagull). It has since helped prevent a number of terrorist attempts to reach Israel's beaches,
has helped maritime vessels in distress and has also taken part in other civilian activities. For its maritime patrol role
the Seascan is equipped with a surface search and identification radar, bubble windows on either side of the hull for visual
identification, as well as other communication, reconnaisance and navigation gear. The Seascan has also been fitted for
other roles, among them target towing for anti aircraft artillery training.
A Seascan mission is manned by two IAF pilots and a navigator as well as an Israeli Navy officer and three other navy
personnel. Although operated by the air force, the plane comes under the command of the navy and the naval officer onboard
is the mission commander. The IAF is currently looking to replace the Seascan, with either an aircraft already in the IAF inventory or one that could be fitted to carry out other missions as well.
Specification: Israel Aircraft Industries Seascan
Type: maritime patrol aircraft.
Powerplant: 2 * Garret TFE731-3.
Performance: max speed - 846kph, service ceiling - 14,800m, range - 3,218km.
Weights: empty - 4,667kg, max takeoff - 10,365kg.
Dimensions: span - 13.65m, length - 16.8m, height - 4.81m.
Armament: Missiles,torpedoes,practice depth charges,7.62mm mini guns,2.75" rockets.
a Seascan armed with air to surface missiles (left) and rockets (right)
Grumman E-2 Hawkeye (Daya)
The first aircraft developed specifically for the purpose of Airborne Early Warning, the Hawkeye was first flown on October 21st, 1961. The most numerous version is the E-2C, capable of tracking 250 aircraft at any given moment, over a range of 340 km while at the same time controlling over 30 intercepts. It forms the backbone of the U.S. Navy's AEW array, serving off its aircraft carriers.
The C variant is also the export version with 8 sold to Japan, 4 to Singapore and 5 to Egypt.
Israel was the first export customer for the type, with 4 Hawkeyes bought in the late 1970s and delivered during 1981 complete with the folding wings characteristic of carrier borne aircraft. The 4 examples were soon put into active service before and during Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982 during which they won a resounding victory over Syrian air defences and fighter control. They
were central to the Israeli victory in the air battles over the Bekaa Valley during which over 90 Syrian fighters were downed for
the loss of no Israeli aircraft. The Hawkeyes were also the linchpin of the operation in which the IAF destroyed the SAM array in
the Bekaa, coordinating the various stages of the operation, vectoring planes into bombing runs and directing intercepts. Under the constant defence of F-15 Eagles, there were always 2 Hawkeyes on station off the Lebanese coast, controlling the various assets in the air and detecting any Syrian aircraft upon their takeoff, eliminating any chance of surpirse.
Israeli Hawkeyes have been configured for air-to-air refuelling from KC-130s. The type is today being phased out of service.
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