Hatzor Airbase

 military airbase, Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Hatzor Israeli Air Force Base (Hebrew: בָּסִיס חֵיל-הַאֲוִויר חָצוֹר) (ICAO: LLHS), also titled Kanaf 4 (lit. Wing 4) is an Israeli Air Force military air base, located in central Israel near kibbutz Hatzor.

also titled Kanaf 4 (lit. Wing 4) is an Israeli Air Force military airbase, located in central Israel, near kibbutz Hatzor after which it is named. Hatzor Airbase began its life as a British base known as Qastina. It was home to two British squadrons flying Halifax and Dakota aircraft. In 1946 Etzel, as part of the Jewish Resistance Movement, raided a number of bases including Qastina where they severely damaged a number of aircraft. With the British withdrawal from Israel, soldiers from the Givati brigade took control of the base. A few months later the "First Fighter" Squadron relocated from Herzliya Airfield to the base, which at that time received the name "Shmuel Airfield", after Sam (Shmuel) Pomeranz, who was killed during the transfer of Spitfire aircraft from Czechoslovakia in Operation "Velvet".

On the morning of August 16, 1966, an Iraqi MiG-21 jet landed in Hatzor AFB. Munir Redfa, an Iraqi Air Force pilot, had been persuaded by the Mossad (The Blue Bird – Operation Diamond) to fly the flagship of the Soviet export aircraft industry to Israel. The MiG was the most advanced aircraft in Arab inventories at the time. Hatzor has a network of eight simulator pods which use satellite footage of countries including Lebanon and Syria to train pilots for deep strike missions.

Israeli Air Force Units:
- 100st Squadron – operating Beechcraft B-200 "King Air" & Beechcraft A36 "Bonanza"
- 101st Squadron – operating F-16C
- 105th Squadron – operating F-16D
- 420th Squadron - operating Flightsimulator Network
- 2 Batteries of David's Sling Missile System

www.iaf.org.il/2570-30198-en/IAF.aspx