Unit 555 ("Sky Crows") electronic warfare unit

 military, electronics

The Sky Crows Squadron is located on the far side of the Tel Nof Air Force Base not far from Rehovot. The headquarters are built like most squadron headquarters in the IAF – in the shape of a U – with offices lining both sides.All of the personnel wear jumpsuits even though they are not pilots, although some of them started off but did not finish the IAF’s elite pilots’ course.

The importance of EW systems in the air force has grown tremendously in recent years as Israel’s enemies seek more and more advanced air defense systems. Iran is still working on convincing Russia to supply it with the S-300, one of the most advanced surface-to-air systems in the world. Syria recently received new Russian systems and Hizbullah and Hamas are believed to have a significant number of shoulder-to-air missiles.Any potential future Israeli operation in Syria, Lebanon, Iran or Gaza would require the activation of EW systems to ensure that IAF planes arrive at their destinations unharmed, are able to drop their bombs over their designated targets and return to their bases back home.

The IAF’s EW capabilities are split into two categories. The first is blocking communications and C4I systems. The second category is disrupting radar systems and preventing them from detecting and tracking incoming planes. As the squadron’s motto goes: “They shall not hear us; they shall not see us.” The squadron, Lt.-Col. Oren, (commander) says, relies on three main components – intelligence, technology and the men and women who operate the systems.

www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=189617