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# Air Force (Israel)

## Heyl Ha'avir

Last modified: 2026-08-01 by martin karner
Keywords: air force | israel |
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2:3 image by Željko Heimer

- Description
- GHQ Air Branch Flag
- Air Force Roundel
- Air Force Roundels since 1948
  - 1948–1951
  - 1951–
  - Low Visibility Roundel
  - Special Roundel Designs
  - Ambulance Markings (1958)
- Air Defense Command
  - Variant with Emblem
  - Insignia
  - Stingers Battalion
- Aggressor Squadron

See also:

- Israel Defense Forces
- Civil Aircraft Markings (Israel)
- Israel
- Aircraft Roundels and Fin Flashes
- ROUNDEL in Dictionary of Vexillology
- Colors & Markings of the Israeli Air Force (by Yoav Efrati, 2005) [efr05]

## Description

Light blue flag with thin stripes, near top and bottom (closer to the edges than on the national flag), white with dark blue borders. In the center, the air force roundel but with points touching disc edges and a dark blue border.
Nathan Lamm, 10 February 2002

Source for my image: Album des Pavillons 1998, which shows a 1:2 ratio. The Air Force flag was dropped in Album des Pavillons 2000 since it falls out of the scope of the book (it is not an ensign which may be spotted at sea).
Željko Heimer, 11 February 2002

The Air Force flag should have a ratio 2:3.
Dov Gutterman, 11 February 2002

Heyl Ha'Avir (= The Air Force) was formed on 17 May 1948 and use the same roundel since then. It never had tail insignia and all tail insignia in photos are squadron markings.
I don't think that there are other countries that had air force before their independence, but IAF history start years before independence and it is the successor of Sherut ha'Avir (Air Service) of the "Ha'Hagana" (The defense) underground.
Sherut Ha'Avir converted light aircraft to "bombers" and used them in military use. Those planes flew under the civil registration. Once "Ha'Hagana" bought disqualified air frames and built planes out of them. Since it wasn't possible to register them, the gave them same civil registration as "legitimate" planes. In this way 3–4 planes flew with the same registration, and, of course, they were put in separate in different air fields.
By the way, the Israeli first Spitfire was built from pieces from 6 planes and nicknamed "the junk Spit".
Some will maybe remember a scene from a film of the 60' with Kirk Douglas ("Cast a Giant Shadow") in which Frank Sinatra is playing an IAF pilot bombing the Egyptian with empty soda bottles from his Piper Cub ...
Well, it wasn't Frankie ... it wasn't a Piper Cub (but an Auster) ... and it happened due to lack of real bombs (those soda bottles made a hell of a noise falling down ...).
The First IAF real combat plane was an Avia S.199 which was really a Czech modification of the German bf-109G which arrived in parts before the Independence, which was very hard to fly (it was called by the Czecks "Mezek" (mule)) and was out of service right after the Independence War.
One day after the declaration of independence (and day before the forming of the IAF), one of the Avia's shot down 2 Egyptian planes over Tel-Aviv. A bit of irony that 3 years after the end of WWII, a German plane is helping Israel to defend against British and American planes used by Arab countries ... [see video]
IAF site (in English) at www.iaf.org.il [not retrievable version]. IAF museum site with many photos of planes at www.iaf-museum.org.il [not retrievable version].
Dov Gutterman, 17 June 2004

image located by William Garrison
(source)

Caption: Meeting between NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment, Camille Grand (left) and Director of Policy & Political-Military Bureau at the Ministry of Defence of Israel, Zohar Palti. (Credit: Ministry of Defence of Israel) c. Sept. 2019.
This photograph shows a flag where the light blue is very pale and the deeper blue is very dark. The central logo is the aircraft roundel.
William Garrison, 18 May 2022

## GHQ Air Branch Flag

The flag is light blue, with the Israeli national flag in canton, with the difference that two stripes and Magen David that are dark blue (or just blue?) on the national flag, are here of the same light blue as the field.
Željko Heimer, 27 March 1996

## Air Force Roundel

image by Željko Heimer

Cochrane and Elliot 1998 shows the star within, but not reaching the edges of, the white disk. Album des Pavillons 2000 and Album des Pavillons 2001 show a white roundel with blue six-pointed star within a blue border, like it appears on the Air Force flag. However, I think that it is not correct: Album des Pavillons 1995 shows it without blue border.
Željko Heimer, 11 February 2002

The Air Force roundel has no blue border and the Magen David does not reach the edges of the disk.
Dov Gutterman, 11 February 2002

Looking at recent photos of Israeli air force planes, I checked that half of them have a blue ring round the white disk, the other half have only white disk; moreover, it does not depend of the colour of background!
Armand Noel du Payrat, 12 February 2002

Maybe in old planes. Check this Israeli air force webpage [not retrievable version] and you will see that all current planes use the no-border roundel except those with white body using thin line around the roundel (see this example [retrieved], picture). As a rule, the roundel has no border.
Dov Gutterman, 12 February 2002

I am currently browsing through some Israel military magazines (Born in Battle), and almost all the roundels show the star within, but not reaching the edges of, the white disk (the distance of the star from the edges of the disk varying somewhat, though). This includes early planes from the 1948/49 war of independence (like Spitfire, B-17 Flying Fortress, Czech-built Bf-109), and more modern planes from the 1970ies and 1980ies (Mirage IIIC, A-4 Skyhawk, F-4 Phantom II, Kfir, F-16
Fighting Falcon, F-15 Eagle).
The only aircraft showing a roundel with a thin blue ring around are Mosquitos and Meteors from the 1950ies, both of them having a white or metallic colour finish [1] [2]. There is a distinct space between the
ring and the star, though.
Sources:
[1] Born in Battle 1. Eshel-Dramit (Hod Hasharon), 1978. p. 32–33.
[2] Im Kampf geboren 5: Die israelische Luftwaffe im Kampf. Eshel-Dramit (Hod Hasharon), 1979. p.27.
M. Schmöger, 25 November 2006

From Colors & Markings of the Israeli Air Force:
"To aid airplane identification from the ground, ex-SAAF Spitfire pilot Boris Senior was tasked with evaluating the Star of David insignia on the Bonanza. Ground visibility of the open star was poor so he suggested that the Star of David be filled resulting in the IAF insignia as applied on IAF aircraft ever since." (p. 6)
Martin Karner, 27 July 2026

### Mistaken variants

In Album des Pavillons 1995 | In Album des Pavillons 2000
| images by Željko Heimer

## Air Force Roundels since 1948

### 1948 – 1951

images by Nozomi Kariyasu, 17 June 2024

images located by Nozomi Kariyasu, 17 June 2024
Gloster Meteor [1]

### 1951 –

Nesher [2]

### Low Visibility Roundel

F-35 Lightning [3]

### Special Roundel Designs

images located by Martin Karner
Mustang [4] – during delivery from Sweden (1952)

B-17 [5] – two different designs

Boeing 707 [6] – roundel with frame (detail)

### Ambulance Markings (1958)

image located by Esteban Rivera

Caption: "In February 1958 the IAF acquired three used S-58B helicopters from Vertol in the US. These airplanes were given squadron level identification numbers 11,12 and 13 and assigned to the new Turning Swards squadron. In February 1958 they were modified for the air ambulance roll with the addition of internal stretchers. To demonstrate this new capability to the general public, large red and white Star of David ambulance markings were applied to both sides of the fuselage on helicopters numbered 11 and 12. Between 1959 and 1960 another four S-58B models were added to the squadron and given the numbers 14, 15, 16 and 18. All were painted in a RAL5008 blue, RAL8008 brown and RAL7044 undersurface grey scheme. The main rotor was painted brown and grey with a green disruptive stripe pattern on top."
Source: Yoav Efrati, Colors & Markings of the Israeli Air Force, 2005 (free English PDF here)
Esteban Rivera, 20 August 2025

Images/sources:
[1] Gloster Meteor; in service in IL: 1953–70; country of production: United Kingdom
(image source: Roundels of the World Air Forces [Facebook])
[2] IAI Nesher S; in service in IL: 1971–86; country of production: Israel (after Mirage plans) (image source)
[3] Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II; in service in IL: since 2017; country of production: USA
(image source: Roundels of the World Air Forces [Facebook])
[4] North American Mustang P-51D; in service in IL: 1948–61; country of production: USA
(image source: Roundels of the World Air Forces [Facebook])
[5] Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress; in service in IL: 1948–58; country of production: USA | video
(image source: Roundels of the World Air Forces [Facebook])
[6] Boeing 707; in service in IL: since 1972; country of production: USA
(image source: Roundels of the World Air Forces [Facebook])

## Air Defense Command

(3:4) 90×120 cm image by Dov Gutterman

### Variant with Emblem

image located by Esteban Rivera
(picture, source)

The Anti-Aircraft Corps (Kohot Ha'Nun-Mem) are part of the Israeli Air Force and not a separate force as costumery in some other military organizations.
The flags are rectangular, 90 cm × 120 cm and divided diagonally by a line going from the upper hoist to the bottom fly. Bottom hoist is black, upper fly is blue.
When the colors are used as unit flag, the emblem of the unit is placed in the lower fly.
Source: author's observation
Dov Gutterman, 15 December 2003/23 April 2005

The Air Defense System or Air Defense Command (מערך ההגנה האווירית) is the Israeli Air Force unit responsible for the surface front of Israel's air defense, complementing the air defense provided by Fighter squadrons. Between April and May 1948 soldiers who had had experience with anti-aircraft gunnery in the British Army and with the acquisition of anti aircraft hardware, the first soldiers were trained and deployed. At that time, the Anti-aircraft School (bisan) was established. Additionally, the first anti-aircraft battalion, the AA (Anti-Aircraft) Battalion, was established as well. From 1948 until 1950, it was called Anti-air Forces. On January 10, 1950 the Anti-aircraft forces were subordinated to the Artillery Corps and an Anti-aircraft Command was established.
With the unification of the anti-aircraft artillery system, under the command of the Air Force on December 1, 1970, the 516th Anti-Aircraft Command, also called the 516th Anti-Aircraft Defense Officer Command, was established. From 1965 until 1971 they were also called Surface-to-air missile units. From 1971 until 2011 it was called Anti-aircraft array. And since January 11, 2011 it changed to its current denomination as Air Defense System.

Sources:

- https://www.idf.il/...
- http://www.yehida.co.il/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39&Itemid=31
- https://he.wikipedia.org/... (Hebrew)
- https://he.wikipedia.org/... (Hebrew)
- https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%93%D7%A0%D7%99_%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%A8 (Hebrew)
- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Defense_Command_(Israel)]
- The book "ואם יעלו השמיים משם אורידם" (short title) (English: "And if the heavens rise from there, I will bring them down"* – The story of the Israeli anti-aircraft system in the Yom Kippur War, compiled and edited by Brigadier General (Res.) Dr. Danny Asher), 2023 (free PDF here)
  * From Amos 9:2: "Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down." – The author shows self-irony: The Almighty speaks here about inobedient Israel!

  For additional information go to IAF (official website): https://www.idf.il/...

  Esteban Rivera, 5 September 2025

  ### Insignia

  image located by Esteban Rivera
  (source)

  The insignia, a bat, is derived from the latest acquired German radar called Superfledermaus (Super Bat). The incoming red arrow symbolizes any projectile headed to the country being countered with an outgoing blue arrow directly towards it. When the Unit was transferred to the Air Force in 1970, diagonal stripes (blue and black) were added in order to symbolize [cooperation] between the Air Force and the land forces. The latest insignia was designed in 2011 by graphic designer Yigal Gabbay.
  Esteban Rivera, 5 September 2025

  ### Stingers Battalion

  image by Gonçalo Costa Reis

  Flag of the IDF Air Defence Command "Stingers Battalion" (according to caption). The Air Defence Command (colours blue and black) is part of the Israeli Air Force (a.k.a. Israeli Air and Space Force). Initially a part of the IDF Artillery Corps, since 1970 the Air Defense Command has been subordinate to the Israeli Air Force.
  The lower line says "high above all" (gavoa ma'al kulam) (photo, source).
  located by William Garrison, 16 March 2025

  I have reconstructed the flag using a mix of AI tools (such as fotor and remove.bg), GIMP, Microsoft Picture Manager, and MS Paint. The shades of the colors used are #002EAC for blue, and #141313 for black.
  בז (baz) refers to Falcon; טורף (toref) refers to Predator.
  Gonçalo Costa Reis, 9 April 2025

  ## Aggressor Squadron

  image by Marc Pasquin

  In Israel, the Aggressor Squadron, a squadron of the Air Force who plays "The Bad Guy" during training exercise is the 115th Squadron nicknamed the Red Squadron/ Flying Dragons.
  Just like many such units around the world, they wear distinctive uniforms and patches to get them in the right frame of mind. In the case of the 115th squadron, one of the most noteworthy thing is that they replace their national flag patch with a red/black version of it.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/115_Squadron_(Israel)
  Marc Pasquin, 7 February 2020