69 Squadron (Israel)

69 Squadron
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]