190 Squadron (Israel)

190 Squadron is one of the Israeli Air Force's two dedicated attack-helicopter squadrons.[4] It operates the AH-64A Apache, referred to in Israeli service as "Pethen," distinguishing it from the AH-64D Longbow "Saraf" flown by the sister 113 Squadron.[2] In 2011, 190 Squadron was listed under the nickname "The Magic Touch Squadron" at Ramon Air Base under Wing 25, documenting its disposition before the 2026 relocation.[5]

The squadron commander described assisting ground forces as its "first and main mission," including in special operations, routine security activity, and high-intensity conflict.[6] Air defense against low-radar-signature objects, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles, is a regular additional task. The squadron's pilots are integrated into communications networks that allow them to view the battlespace as seen by troops on the ground.[6] Before 190 Squadron's 2026 relocation, it and 113 Squadron shared on-call rotations and often operated jointly.[6]

The IDF's decision to acquire dedicated attack helicopters followed the Yom Kippur War, when planners concluded the ground forces needed a capability to engage massed armored vehicles operating in areas saturated with anti-aircraft systems.[7] The AH-1 Cobra entered Israeli service in April 1975, and the attack-helicopter force conducted its first documented operational strike on May 9, 1979, when two Cobras attacked a building near Tyre where terrorists were concealed.[7]

190 Squadron was established in 1980 at Palmachim Air Base, initially flying the Hughes Defender helicopter, known in Hebrew as "Lahatut." It later moved to Ramat David after difficulties operating the aircraft in hot conditions; its northern basing also kept it closer to the IDF's principal area of activity in Lebanon at the time.[8][9] By the period of the 1982 Lebanon War, the IAF operated seven helicopter squadrons, including two attack squadrons with a combined force of 48 attack helicopters.[10]

The Air Force disbanded 190 Squadron in 1994 as it began absorbing Apache helicopters.[8] The squadron reopened the following year at Ramon Air Base in the Negev, equipped with the AH-64A Apache.[8] In the years that followed, the IAF progressively reduced its AH-1 squadrons, which had used spare parts from 72 former U.S. Army helicopters acquired through the American excess defense articles program. The drawdown reflected the reduced large-scale armored threat from Syria or Iraq.[10]

190 Squadron participated in the First Lebanon War, the Second Lebanon War, and operations during the Second Intifada.[8][8] During the 34-day 2006 Lebanon war, the IAF's attack-helicopter force as a whole flew approximately 2,500 sorties, including close air support for ground forces and time-sensitive strikes against mobile rocket launchers. These are force-wide figures rather than totals specific to 190 Squadron.[5]

The broader combat-helicopter force also participated in Operation Cast Lead, Operation Pillar of Defense, Operation Protective Edge, and Operation Guardian of the Walls, with duties ranging from assisting ground forces to attacking targets and defending the Gaza border.[6] During Cast Lead, the IAF's attack-helicopter force flew approximately 1,150 sorties and delivered 1,120 precision munitions. Attack-helicopter pilots were also included in tactical air-control parties at brigade level, deepening air-ground integration.[5]

By the early 2020s, the Air Force had reduced its attack-helicopter force from four squadrons to two. There were internal discussions about closing 190 Squadron on the assessment that unmanned aerial vehicles were absorbing more of the missions historically assigned to attack helicopters.[4]

When Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza border fence on October 7, 2023, 190 Squadron's commander called pilots to the base and ordered helicopters readied for flight. He took off from Ramon at 8:10 a.m. and reached Kibbutz Be'eri at approximately 8:30 a.m., where he used the helicopter's cannon to enable a Black Hawk carrying a Shaldag special-operations team to land.[3] By 9:00 a.m., six Apaches were airborne—three from 190 Squadron and three from 113 Squadron.[3]

Ground troops relayed targeting information to pilots verbally and through phone and WhatsApp messages; crews initially struggled to distinguish Israeli forces from terrorists from the air.[11] The commander fired near people at a breach in the fence to push them back and later launched a missile at a Hamas van near the fence.[3] Helicopters also operated near Kibbutz Nir Oz under similarly difficult visibility conditions. The commander returned to Ramon to rearm and was airborne again within 20 minutes, later attacking an IDF outpost to assist Shayetet 13 commandos attempting to free troops under siege.[11]

A former squadron pilot, Maj. (res.) Boaz, had helped develop an "eruption protocol" for sudden mass-casualty incidents. The protocol allowed technical crews to fuel and arm helicopters and launch them without the usual inspection procedure. During the first 24 hours of October 7, Boaz managed operations from the ground before handing the role to regular personnel and flying himself.[12]

One documented incident involved the death of Efrat Katz. An IDF investigation reported in April 2024 concluded that Katz was likely killed by helicopter fire during an attempted abduction, that surveillance systems could not reliably distinguish hostages from terrorists in moving vehicles under those conditions, and that the IAF commander found no fault with the crew's conduct given its orders and the circumstances of the battle.[3][13]

Following October 7, 190 Squadron was active across multiple fronts, with most of its flying initially concentrated in the south.[4] During the Gaza ground operation, its crews worked alongside battalion, brigade, and division headquarters, communicated directly with battalion and company commanders, and adapted procedures to shorten the time between a ground request and an air attack.[8] Reported tasks included early fire strikes ahead of advancing troops, destruction of surveillance equipment threatening ground forces, armed escort, real-time area scanning, and rapid response when forces came under fire.[8] Helicopters and UAVs were also described as working together on almost every sortie.[4]

The squadron simultaneously maintained readiness for the northern border, conducted strikes in Lebanon, and participated in unmanned-aerial-vehicle interceptions during confrontations with Iran.[14][8] Reports characterized the squadron as having achieved a relatively high number of drone interceptions during this period.[1] One pilot recounted intercepting a UAV over Israeli territory as it headed toward a community in southern Israel.[8]

The scale and pace of operations, combined with the demonstrated need for attack helicopters on and after October 7, led the Air Force to cancel the plan to close 190 Squadron.[4] The squadron remained active and was expected to be strengthened rather than wound down.[9]

In May 2026, the Air Force approved relocating 190 Squadron from Ramon Air Base in the south to Ramat David Air Base in the north, with infrastructure work planned to support the aircraft and technical crews.[9] The move was completed and reported in August 2026.[8]

The relocation followed conclusions drawn from the events of October 7 that the attack-helicopter force needed a permanent northern presence. By dividing the two attack-helicopter squadrons between the north and south rather than concentrating them at Ramon, the IAF aimed to shorten launch and flight times, improve responses to fast-moving threats such as drones and cruise missiles, and make forces immediately available for northern-front contingencies and support in Lebanon or Syria.[1][9] Technical crews at Ramat David spent approximately a year preparing to maintain the AH-64A fleet.[1]

An older base listing places 190 Squadron at Ramat David with Hughes MD 500 helicopters alongside three F-16C/D squadrons, reflecting the squadron's earlier northern disposition rather than the 2026 deployment.[15] Under a procurement plan reported in 2026, new AH-64E helicopters were expected eventually to replace the squadron's older aircraft while expanding the wider attack-helicopter force.[9]

The squadron's actions on October 7 attracted scrutiny because hostages, civilians, Israeli forces, and Hamas terrorists were present within the same active combat zones. The death of Efrat Katz, concluded by an IDF probe to have likely resulted from helicopter fire, illustrated the limits of airborne surveillance in distinguishing hostages from terrorists in moving vehicles. The IAF commander determined that the crew had operated in accordance with its orders and the circumstances of the battle.[3][13]

Reports describe the squadron's drone-interception record during the post-October 7 war as relatively high, but the cited reporting provides neither a specific count nor independent corroboration for that characterization.[1][8]