193 Squadron (Israel)

193 Squadron occupies a distinctive position in the Israel Defense Forces as an Air Force unit whose operational missions are directed by the Navy.[1] The Air Force operates and maintains the helicopters, while the Navy defines and employs their missions; from the Navy's perspective, the squadron commander functions much like the commander of another flotilla.[1] Personnel serve aboard missile boats for extended periods, sometimes on voyages of 80–90 days in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and become deeply familiar with naval culture and terminology.[1][2]

The unit was created to overcome a basic limitation of missile boats: their sensors could detect targets only to the horizon, while their weapons could reach farther.[1] Shipborne helicopters bridge that gap by flying ahead of the fleet to extend detection range, identify contacts, and relay information to the ships.[1][3] The squadron has also conducted coastal security patrols, maritime search and rescue, resupply of ships at sea, and support for elite commando operations by units such as Shayetet 13.[4][5] It has assisted in protecting offshore gas infrastructure, including the Karish platform.[2]

The Israeli Navy's air wing more broadly comprises maritime reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters used for search and rescue, generally with minimal armament.[6]

The precise founding date of 193 Squadron is not firmly established in open sources. One account dates its establishment to 1987 and says it began with two Dolphin helicopters.[1] Another places its establishment at Palmachim Airbase in the 1990s.[7] A 2026 report described the unit as founded at Palmachim nearly four decades earlier, broadly supporting an earlier date without conclusively resolving the discrepancy.[3]

Israel acquired its first dedicated naval helicopters in the mid-1980s. Three Aerospatiale SA-366 Dauphins joined the IAF in May 1985, procured with Navy funds specifically to operate from Navy missile boats.[8] These aircraft were sized to fit inside the hangars of Sa'ar 4.5 missile boats and were tasked primarily with maritime patrol and search and rescue.[8] On missions alongside the fleet, the helicopter's two-person crew was joined by a flight engineer and a Navy officer who operated the search radar and coordinated with the ships' combat centers, reflecting the joint nature of the unit's work.[8]

On September 16, 1996, Dolphin helicopter 905 crashed during a night exercise with Navy ships approximately 20 kilometers west of Nahariya.[7] Squadron commander Lt. Col. Ben-Zion (Bency) Bachar, copilot Capt. Shachak Sela, and Navy officer Capt. Eran Garbiya were killed, becoming the first fatalities in the squadron's history.[7]

In 1996, the squadron began receiving the Eurocopter AS-565 Panther, known in Israel as the Atalef ("Bat").[9][7] The transition was associated with the Navy's acquisition of Sa'ar 5 corvettes, whose larger flight decks could accommodate the bigger helicopter.[7] The first Atalef helicopters arrived in Israel disassembled in August 1996 and were fitted with Israeli-developed systems to integrate them with Navy ships.[7] During the transition, the squadron moved from Palmachim to Ramat David Airbase and continued flying the Dolphins alongside the incoming Panthers.[7]

The Atalef was described as more powerful, agile, and advanced than the Dauphin it replaced while remaining compact enough for shipboard operations.[9] Its standard crew consisted of a pilot, copilot, and an airborne maritime patrol officer—a Navy-trained specialist who operated the helicopter's observation, collection, and defense systems and coordinated with the ships.[5] The squadron remained at Ramat David during the Atalef era before returning to Palmachim when it was reestablished with the Seahawk in 2026.[10][3]

The Navy used Panther helicopters with its Sa'ar 5 corvettes from 1996 onward.[11] In February 2024, the squadron participated in a joint exercise with the Navy's Missile Ship Flotilla, during which crews practiced countering drone threats, aerial rescue from vessels, and refueling a missile ship at sea.[11]

The squadron sustained losses during both operational events and training. During the Second Lebanon War, on July 14, 2006, a Hezbollah missile struck the Navy corvette INS Hanit off the Lebanese coast, hitting below its helicopter deck.[7] Four members of the ship's crew were killed, including Squadron 193 technical-section personnel Tal Amgar and Dov Stranshus.[7][5] The Atalef helicopter aboard the vessel was severely damaged and returned to service in 2008 following a lengthy restoration.[5]

In January 2022, during a night training flight off the coast of Haifa, an Atalef suffered an engine fire and crashed into the sea.[4] Maj. Chen Fogel, a pilot and deputy commander of 193 Squadron, and Lt. Col. Erez Sachyani, deputy commander of Ramat David Airbase, were killed; airborne maritime patrol officer Capt. Ron Birman survived.[1][4] The Air Force immediately halted the squadron's flight activity while a special commission investigated the crash.[4]

The final investigation found that corrosion in a component of the left engine led to a fire that spread to the right engine. The failure was described as the first of its kind and as resulting from a design flaw in the manufacturer's component.[4][2] The Air Force introduced more corrosion-resistant engine parts, revised technical maintenance instructions, and updated emergency training to address a similar failure.[4] After several months of grounding, the squadron gradually returned to flying and operational sailings with Navy missile boats.[4][2]

The Atalef fleet was eventually retired, and 193 Squadron was closed for approximately a year before its 2026 reopening.[10][3] The interval left the Navy without a maritime helicopter and reduced its operational effectiveness. The squadron commander, whose full identity was withheld, described the situation directly: "This created an operational gap that was not good and that we did not expect to last this long."[10]

The squadron was formally reestablished at Palmachim Airbase in July 2026 to operate the Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk, designated the Shalach ("Osprey") in Israeli service.[9][10] At the time of the reopening, three Seahawks had arrived in Israel, with two more expected by the end of 2026. Two of the first three were undergoing integration work at Israeli defense companies before flight testing.[10] A late-September report indicated that integration and flight trials were still under way before full entry into operational service.[3]

The Shalach represents a substantial capability upgrade over the Atalef. It roughly doubles the earlier helicopter's range, flight endurance, and capacity for personnel and equipment.[10] While the Atalef carried two aircrew members and a naval reconnaissance officer, the Seahawk adds a flight mechanic and can transport more than ten troops.[10] The aircraft is intended to operate from both Sa'ar 5 and Sa'ar 6 corvettes; the Sa'ar 5 flight decks were extended to accommodate the larger helicopter.[10]

Prospective missions include maritime surveillance, search and rescue, resupplying ships at sea, transporting troops, and supporting naval boarding operations. Antisubmarine warfare capability is planned for a later development stage.[10] The larger platform is intended to restore the Navy's shipborne aviation capability while broadening its long-range intelligence, rescue, logistics, medical evacuation, and troop-transport options.[10][3]

The squadron allows Israel's relatively small Navy to maintain a shipborne aviation capability without operating an independent naval air service. Its organizational model combines Air Force flight and maintenance expertise with Navy mission control, shipboard operations, and maritime specialists.[1]

Operationally, the unit extends the reach of Israeli corvettes beyond their direct sensor horizon and provides an airborne link for reconnaissance, rescue, logistics, and special operations.[1][4] The transition to the Seahawk marks a shift from a compact reconnaissance helicopter toward a larger multipurpose platform capable of carrying troops, medical personnel, supplies, and future antisubmarine systems.[10]

Several aspects of the squadron's history remain inconsistent or incomplete in open sources. Its establishment is reported variously as occurring in 1987 and sometime in the 1990s.[1][7] A 2026 description of the unit as founded "nearly four decades" earlier broadly supports the earlier account but does not conclusively resolve the discrepancy.[3]

Reports also refer generally to classified operational activity, including support connected to the covert conflict with Iran, without providing enough information to verify particular missions, locations, or outcomes.[2]