Sword and Shield of Zion: The Israel Air Force in the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1948-2012

The Israel Air Force (IAF) has accumulated as much battle experience as any air force in the world during the post-Second World War era, and it has recorded many outstanding accomplishments throughout a seemingly endless string of interstate wars, asymmetrical wars, counterinsurgency campaigns, and special operations. This book examines the IAF's experience in the ArabIsraeli conflict from the establishment of Israel in 1948 to the present day. It analyses this experience through the prisms of manoeuvre warfare, attrition warfare, counterinsurgency warfare, special operations, and humanitarian operations. The book reviews the IAF's performance in such wars as the 1967 Six-Day War, the 196970 War of Attrition, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and the 20089 Gaza War. The book also scrutinizes the IAF's participation in major counterinsurgency campaigns and special operations, traces the air force's experience with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have occupied a very prominent place in air operations since the 1982 Lebanon War, and chronicles its experience with anti-aircraft defences and satellites. Up-to-date information on the IAF's bases, squadrons, and other infrastructure is provided as well. The book is based on personal visits to the IAF over the past few years, during which the author had the opportunity to tour bases, listen to lectures and briefings, and speak with numerous retired, reserve, and active duty officers.