| 69 Squadron | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 1948–1954, 1956, 1969–1994, 1998–Present |
| Country |  Israel |
| Branch |  Israeli Air Force |
| Role | Strike/Attack |
| Garrison/HQ | Hatzerim Airbase |
| Nickname(s) | The Hammers (Hebrew: פטישים, Patishim) |
| Colors | Black and Yellow |
| Equipment | F-15I Ra'am (Thunder) |
| Engagements | 1948 Arab–Israeli War Suez Crisis War of Attrition Yom Kippur War 1982 Lebanon War Second Lebanon War Gaza–Israel conflict |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Pinchas Ben-Porat[1] Avihu Ben-Nun Yoram Agmon Tomer Bar |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | F-4 Phantom II |
| Bomber | B-17 Flying Fortress |
The 69 "Hammers" Squadron is an Israeli Air Force squadron operating the F-15I Thunder out of Hatzerim. It was formed in July 1948 to operate three B-17 Flying Fortresses which the fledgling Israeli Air Force had acquired in the United States. The squadron flew the Flying Fortress, an aircraft credited with propelling the IAF into the realm of modern aerial warfare, during both the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and 1956 Suez Crisis. Disbanded in early 1957, 69 Squadron reformed in 1969 to fly the F-4 Phantom II.
69 Squadron operated the Kurnass (Sledgehammer), as the Phantom was known in Israel, for 25 years. Its Phantoms saw extensive action during the War of Attrition, Yom Kippur War, First Lebanon War and numerous engagements in between. The squadron often played a central role in IAF suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) efforts and took part in repeated battles against Egyptian and Syrian air defence.
The squadron retired its Phantoms in 1994 and reformed shortly thereafter to operate the F-15I Thunder. Described as the "long-range, heavy bombing element of Israeli air power",[2] 69 Squadron, together with Squadrons 119 and 253, carried out Operation Outside the Box, the September 2007 airstrike on a nuclear site in Syria.[3]
- ^ "Pinchas Ben-Porat" (in Hebrew). Palmach web site. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- ^ "Hammers: Israel's Long-Range Heavy Bomber Arm: The Story of 69 Squadron". Schiffer Books. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
- ^ "Ending a decade of silence, Israel confirms it blew up Assad's nuclear reactor". Retrieved 2018-03-21.