Israel's eyes and ears: The IDF squadron that the entire Middle East fears

The Nachshon Squadron is the eyes and ears of the entire Israel Air Force, as it knows how to master a variety of capabilities for planning and executing any operation that requires air activity.

A modest ceremony was held on Tuesday in one of the hangars of the Nachshon 122 Squadron at the Nevatim Air Force Base to mark the squadron's change of command.

Lt. Col. P. will replace Lt. Col. N. when the latter takes office, and he did not believe that this would be the long-term case.

What began with the failures on October 7 continued into a massive war on seven fronts, the highlight of which was the 12-day war as part of Operation Rising Lion, when the Nachshon Squadron led the Israel Air Force (IAF) in attacks throughout Iran and opened the skies to fighter jets.

When Lt. Col. N. was inthe IAF, approximately a year before he was appointed squadron commander, he wrote a thesis on the Air Force's surprise in the Yom Kippur War. A month and a half after taking office, in early September 2023, he gathered all the pilots and personnel of the squadron and presented them in detail with his research and conclusions.

"When we failed, I asked myself where we failed and in the same breath, what I could have done differently. We need to rise up, we can't focus on the past," Col N. said.

The Nachshon Squadron is first and foremost a reconnaissance squadron that is supposed to monitor Iran, Gaza, and other regions.

"How did this happen? There is the General Staff investigation, and we are learning how to be better," Lt. Col. N. added. "We are part of this failure, too. It may be our failure, even more than for others."

The Nachshon Squadron is the eyes and ears of the entire Air Force. It knows how to handle a variety of critical capabilities for planning and executing any operation that requires air activity, from attacking in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, or Iran. From landing forces deep in Syria to rescuing the wounded from the battlefield.

"We are very much in the air world: operations, control, management, and working with fighter jets. If you take Syria, this is reflected in the mission of providing an intelligence response during the operation to maintain air superiority and then also on the ground,” he added. “Some of the things moved from information collected in the past, through the various elements, and you need to introduce intelligence in real time."

Israel's eyes on the Middle East

The aerospace industry is already working hard on building an array of dozens of observation satellites that will hover in space and provide a 24-hour picture of the Middle East. The Nachshon Squadron understands that the State of Israel will not make a decision to give them up so quickly.

"We have things that we still bring that are unique, that other systems do not. The power structure is changing, and systems are being added and changed, even while we're fighting. 'The Oron' is a tremendous project, and the war accelerated it, yet we know how to provide intelligence in real time," The squadron commander added. "When operating in the air, we bring relative and effective advantages. We open the skies forward."

For example, in Operation Rising Lion, the Nachshon Squadron worked to reflect and provide operational solutions to the IAF in preparation for a variety of target strikes in all phases of combat.

"I am part of those who bring the information and capabilities so that we are as prepared as possible in the force and as an army," he explained.

The Nachshon Squadron has three configurations of aircraft. All are executive aircraft built to meet requirements and equipped with radar, optics, and unique communication systems. The various aircraft are called: Itam, Shavit, and the last one is an advanced intelligence aircraft that was fully operational two weeks before Operation Rising Lion.

Lieutenant T., 21, an air reconnaissance officer, is part of the team setting up the new aircraft in the squadron. The role is new to the squadron and was created as a result of the new aircraft's reconnaissance capabilities.

"During the war, we operated continuously day and night, defending the country's skies. We don't have military personnel in the role of air scouts, so we had a huge and difficult two weeks," he said.

Lieutenant T. said that his abilities as an air scout in the advanced aircraft are to collect tactical targets on the ground and also to detect threats in the air.

Although he has already flown in most of the Middle East, including targets in the third circle, the activity in Gaza also touched him on a personal level: "I have quite a few friends there, fighters for whom I carry out protective operations. There is nothing better than a paratrooper friend of mine from childhood, who I studied with, telling me on the phone that he feels safe when I am in the air over Gaza."

According to Lieutenant T., the difference between the squadron's aircraft and the HTMs is significant: "Our aircraft is multi-mission and capable of collecting a large number of targets simultaneously over a large area."

Among the squadron's veterans is Reservist N., an airborne controller. He explained that the airborne controller's role is to manage air traffic and missions in intense air combat. "It has the potential to be a very complex event, but when you practice for it and prepare for it properly, it becomes simpler."

Major N. spoke about the activity he took part in the first attack on Iran in Operation Rising Lion.

"It's the moment when we leave the briefing and realize that the moment we have been waiting for 20 years has arrived. A historic point and our opportunity to be the body that protects our families and children. I arrived here 20 years ago, I am 40 years old, a few more years, I would not have been part of this historic event.

"On a personal level, the feeling that we have the ability to go out and do this mission, and when I see the lines on the map and see that we are passing one point after another... I had several nights when I thought that tonight it would happen, and they would turn it around. Something then made me feel that this time we would not turn around."

"That morning, I left my phone off so that I could be as focused as possible. When you land on the ground, probably in light of the assessments that were made before the operation, there is a sigh of relief and a look forward to the battle that lies ahead of us, thinking about the family at home and entering the battle with great force," he continued.

"On October 7, at 6 a.m., I was on a civilian plane on my way to France to pick up my partner for aliyah. The difficult feeling of missing out on that day was felt upon landing. I think about everything we were unable to do that morning every day. My partner, whom I brought here, and I want to ensure her a safe home in Israel."

Nachshon Squadron's uniqueness

Captain A., a pilot in the squadron, explained the uniqueness of the Nachshon Squadron that distinguishes it from other IAF squadrons.

"We don't have a sister squadron. Take any other squadron, whether it's transport or helicopters, and there's another squadron that can do the same thing. Only we have Nachshon aircraft, and all of their capabilities are unique to us. Each aircraft brings its own unique abilities that are not found anywhere else in the IAF."

"All the planes are Nachshon planes, but we have three platforms, each with a different mission and different people from different units operating each plane. Due to the diversity, we touch on different positions of the IAF: Protecting the country's skies, deep missions and patrols," he concluded.