An unidentified UAV invaded the Israeli aerial territory and was intercepted by an F-16I aircraft.
A UAV was located this morning invading Israeli aerial territory and was successfully intercepted around 10 AM by IAF airplanes. The UAV was brought down around the northern Negev area and IDF forces have begun scanning the area in order to find its remains and perhaps get an idea of its operating sources.
The UAV was located before invading Israeli territory and was followed by airplanes throughout its course before the decision to intercept,
Two weeks ago, Commander of the IAF visited the northern ATC unit and said: “The significance of the ATC formation is tremendous. You are the ones who see it all and connect the dots. The worldwide terror movements will continue to challenge us, and we’ll have to maintain protection of this country, its citizens and critical foundations”.
Until this morning, the IAF had intersected two UAVs both around the end of the 2006 Lebanon War. Combat airplanes of the Force intercepted a pair of “Ghods Ababil” UAVs which belonged to the Hizzbollah only a few days apart in August 2006.
After being located by the units of the Aerial Defense Formation (then Anti-Aircraft Formation) and the Northern ATC unit F-16C of the “Knights of the North”, the “Valley” Squadron launched Air to Air missiles and intercepted the UAVs: one above the sea in Lebanese territory and the other northern to Haifa.
“We sent airplanes to attack the launchers and suddenly they got an order from the ATC unit to follow a different target, which was moving in low altitude above the sea”, said then Major R’, Deputy Commander of the “Knights of the north Squadron”. “We rushed the northern launching unit that was unintentionally also from our formation and a number of airplanes headed out with air to air missiles in order to intersect the UAV”.
The interception was successful and the “Ghod Ababil” was dropped over the sea, outside the Israeli territory. For years we have been preparing for this sort of scenario, we are happy that we were able to complete it successfully”.
The IAF is constantly preparing for these kind of incidents. The ATC units and launching squadrons have their guard up at all times for any unplanned activity that may take place within Israeli skies and aerial borders
