Camp David Accords The Ramon Airbase was built between 1979 and 1982, together with
Nevatim and
Ovda Airbase, mainly by US companies in southern Israel – as a replacement for the four Israeli bases on the
Sinai Peninsula in
Egypt that were abandoned after the
Camp David Accords in September 1978 (see the map below also). Abandoned
Israeli Air Force (IAF) bases on the Sinai Peninsula: • Eitam Airbase (today:
El Gora Airport) • Etzion Airbase (today:
Taba International Airport) • Ophira Airbase (today:
Sharm El Sheikh International Airport) • Rephidim Airbase (today:
Bardawil International Airport at El Hassana) Camp David, Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, 1978.jpg|The then presidents
Anwar Sadat,
Jimmy Carter and
Prime Minister Menachem Begin (left to right) at
Camp David (USA) in September 1978 Sinai-Airbases.png|Abandoned
Israeli Air Force (IAF) bases on the
Sinai Peninsula (red) and newly established bases in southern Israel (blue) The area for the airbase contained
Iron Age sites and a former army firing range, both of which required further investigation before construction began, because of archaeological artifacts and unexploded bombs. The Ramon and Ovda airbases are very similar in their structure and construction.
Fighter jets Even before its completion in 1982, Ramon took over some of the aircraft stationed at the former 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: I042107 211 (469010027).jpg|Two
A-4 Skyhawk Ayit, A-4N and A-4H (left to right),
147 Squadron "Goring Ram", the A-4 was initially based on Ramon Hatzerim 131022 Netz 107.jpg|An
F-16A Netz of
116 Squadron "Defenders Of The South", initially based on Ramon also From the beginning, the airbase offered space for three squadrons of 25 fighter jets each, which are currently based there:
119 Squadron "Bat" The
119 Squadron "Bat" was established in 1956 at
Ramat David Airbase and relocated to
Tel Nof Airbase in 1957. It was primarily intended for night missions (hence the name "Bat") and initially flew the British-made
Gloster Meteor NF.13 (Night Fighter) and the French-made
Sud SO-4050 Vautour. In the 1960s, the
Dassault Mirage IIICJ Shahak followed, in the 1970s, the US-made
F-4E Phantom II Kurnass, and from 1989 onwards, the
Kurnass 2000, further developed in cooperation with Israeli companies. In 2004, all F-4Es were decommissioned and the squadron at
Tel Nof Airbase was closed. In January 2005, the "Bat" squadron was reopened at
Ramon Airbase and received the new
F-16I Sufa jet, adapted to Israeli needs and based on the two-seat F-16D (Block 50/52 Plus) of the
USAF. Since its founding, the
119 Squadron "Bat" has been considered one of the elite squadrons of the
Israeli Air Force, always equipped with the latest and most powerful fighter aircraft of its time, such as the
F-16I Sufa. Gloster Meteor (468977151).jpg|Two
Gloster Meteor NF.13 – NF for night fighter – of
119 Squadron "Bat" from the 1950s at the
IAF Museum near
Hatzerim Airbase A Skyhawk fighter taking off (FL61860702).jpg|An
RF-4E Phantom II Orev – R for reconnaissance – of
119 Squadron "Bat" just after the
Yom Kippur War at
Tel Nof Airbase in 1974 «Onisilos Gedeon» Joint Exercise Israel and Cyprus, November 2020. I.jpg|An
F-16I Sufa of
119 Squadron "Bat" starts with full afterburner during an international exercise in November 2020 119th sq. NEW.jpg|Current emblem of
119 Squadron "Bat"
201 Squadron "The One" The
201 Squadron "The One" was established in 1956 during the
Suez Crisis at
Lod Airbase (now
Ben Gurion Airport) and initially flew the French-made
Dassault Mystère IV. In September 1969 – at the height of the
War of Attrition with Egypt – it was the first Israeli squadron to receive the US-made
F-4E Phantom II Kurnass at
Hatzor Airbase. In 1988, the squadron moved to
Tel Nof Airbase and received the improved
Kurnass 2000 from 1989. After all F-4Es were decommissioned in 2004, the squadron at Tel Nof was temporarily closed. In July 2008, "The One" squadron was reopened at
Ramon Airbase and became the fourth and last of the
Israeli Air Force to receive its
F-16I Sufa jets. In addition to the three squadrons at Ramon, there is also the
107 Squadron "Knights Of The Orange Tail" at
Hatzerim Airbase with these jets. IAF-F-4-Phantom--Independence-Day-2017-Tel-Nof-IZE-090 (33605016114).jpg|A decommissioned
F-4E Phantom II Kurnass 2000 of
201 Squadron "The One" at an exhibition on
Indepen­dence Day 2017 in Israel IAF-F-16I-Sufa--Independence-Day-2017-Tel-Nof-IZE-182.jpg|An
F-16I Sufa of
201 Squadron "The One" during the same exhibition on
Indepen­dence Day in spring 2017 קורנס בטייסת 201.jpg|The
201 Squadron memorial with a restored
F-4E Phantom II Kurnass at the gates of Ramon Airbase from February 2020 Tayeset201.png|Current emblem of
201 Squadron "The One" In April 2020, a memorial to the
201 Squadron "The One", featuring a restored
F-4E Phantom II Kurnass, was opened outside the gates of the airbase. The jet had flown for the squadron during the
Yom Kippur War and spent many decades in the storeroom of the
IAF Museum near
Hatzerim Airbase. After a lengthy renovation process, the
Kurnass was finally transported here from Hatzerim. In 2003, the squadron at Ramon was temporarily disbanded and its remaining F-16A/B jets were transferred to the
116 Squadron "Defenders of the South" at
Nevatim Airbase. In February 2004, it became the first of four squadrons of the
Israeli Air Force to receive the new
F-16I Sufa, adapted to Israeli needs. Each squadron received 25 of these jets. Mirage row Hatzerim.jpg|From left:
IAI Kfir,
IAI Nesher and
Mirage IIICJ Shahak, the latter two were also in the
253 Squadron "Negev",
IAF Museum at
Hatzerim Israel Air Force General Dynamics F-16B Netz (401) Lofting-1.jpg|A two-seater
F-16B Netz of
144 Squadron "Phoenix" (of "Negev" also) with three external fuel tanks during an exercise in 2001 253 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as the Negev Squadron, is an F-16I (415) Sufa fighter squadron based at Ramon Airbase. (28629086734).jpg|An
F-16I Sufa of
253 Squadron "Negev" during
Exercise Red Flag at
Nellis Air Force Base near
Las Vegas in August 2016 253 squadron IAF.png|Current emblem of
253 Squadron "Negev" On 6 September 2007, two
F-16I Sufa jets of the
"Negev" squadron took part in
Operation Outside the Box, the attacking and destroying of an almost completed nuclear reactor in
Syria. See also
here. Hatzerim Ouragan 29012010.jpg|A
Dassault Ouragan of
107 Squadron "Lion's Head" at the
IAF Museum near
Hatzerim Airbase in 2010 IAF-2014-Museum 0083-Nesher-1.jpg|An
IAI Nesher of
113 Squadron "Hornet" at the
IAF Museum near
Hatzerim Airbase in 2014 Israeli AH-64D edited-01.jpg|An
AH-64D Apache Longbow Saraf attack helicopter of
113 Squadron "Hornet" during an exercise in 2012 IAF Hornet Squadron 113 Logo.png|Current emblem of
113 Squadron "Hornet"
190 Squadron "Magic Touch" The
190 Squadron "Magic Touch" was established in 1980 at
Palmachim Airbase with
MD 500 Defender multi-role helicopters. In 1995, it relocated to
Ramon Airbase and became the second attack helicopter squadron in the
Israeli Air Force to receive the
AH-64A Apache Peten. In 2005, it also received all AH-64As from the
113 Squadron, which converted to the advanced
AH-64D Apache Longbow Saraf. Another IDF Pilot Course ended with an outstanding airplanes display (FL62903129).jpg|An
MD 500 Defender multi-role helicopter of
190 Squadron "Magic Touch" during an air show in 1981 IAF-AH-64Ai-Peten--Independence-Day-2017-Tel-Nof-IZE-142.jpg|An
AH-64A Apache Peten attack helicopter of
190 Squadron "Magic Touch" at an exhibition in 2017 95680 apache takes off from the battlefield PikiWiki Israel.jpg|An
AH-64A Apache Peten of
190 Squadron "Magic Touch" during an exercise in December 2019 IAF Squadron 190.png|Current emblem of
190 Squadron "Magic Touch"
Operation Outside the Box On 6 September 2007, in
Operation Outside the Box, four
F-16I Sufa jets from Ramon – two of the
"Bat" and two of the
"Negev" squadron – and four
F-15I ''Ra'am'' of the
"Hammers" squadron from
Hatzerim Airbase attacked an almost completed nuclear reactor in
Syria and destroyed it in order to prevent Syria from building its own nuclear bombs. More than ten years later, on 21 March 2018, Israel officially admitted the attack. Iniohos 2021 International Exercise, April 2021. XV.jpg|Four
F-15I (front) and four
F-16I, like the ones which carried out the attack, during an exercise in April 2021 Syrian Reactor Before After.jpg|The Syrian nuclear reactor before and after destruction by
Operation Outside the Box in 2007 Operation Orchard. XI.jpg|Pilot and navigator (
WSO) are getting out of their
F-16I at Ramon Airbase after the operation in 2007 Operation Outside the Box Badge.png|The badge of
Operation Outside the Box, which was subsequently attached to the jets involved == Today ==