At 7:45 a.m.on June 5,
1967, air
sirens began to sound all over Israel as all but twelve of the
countries nearly two hundred operational jets left the ground headed
for Egypt. Flying low through previously discovered gaps in the
Egyptian radar
net, and approaching from unexpected directions, mostly from the west
(that is, from the Mediterranean), the Israelis achieved complete
tactical surprise. In the
first day of fighting 80 percent of Egypt’s bombers were
destroyed along with 55 percent of its fighter jets. Those losses,
combined with the devastation of the airbases and command and control
centers demoralized the Egyptian high command, and gave Israel control
of the skies over the southern front. Israeli losses totaled just 19
planes, mostly from ground fire1.
The French made Dassault Mirage 3, the primary aircraft of the Israeli Air Forces
The Soviet made Mig-21 Fishbed, the primary fighter aircraft of the Egyptian Air Force.
The Soviet made TU-16 "Badger" Bombers, the primary bomber aircraft of the Egyptian Air Force.