On the Use of Air Power and Its Effect on the Outbreak of the Six Day War

Following the end of the Suez Campaign of 1956, Israel devoted itself to the enhancement of its air power. As the Israeli air force's power and fighting capabilities grew, the national army chiefs pressed the government to utilize Israel's superior air power to put an end to the Syrian-instigated border incidents—incidents which had been taking place with increasing and worrying frequency. On 13 November 1964, Israel launched an air strike against Syria, raising the Arab-Israeli conflict onto a new and far more dangerous plane. Air power was soon established as a key element of Israel's security policy. The air strike of 7 April 1967, when 130 Israeli aircraft attacked targets deep inside Syria's air space, and in the course of which Israeli jets shot down six Syrian MIGs, marked the onset of a period of rapid deterioration in Arab-Israeli affairs and served as a prelude to the Six Day War.