Advanced Israeli Fighter Jets Damaged in Massive Floods

Heavy rainstorms that raged across Israel last week caused tens of millions of shekels in damage to fighter jets and maintenance equipment at an army base in southern Israel, as hangars and repair workshops were flooded.

In addition, the Israel Air Force had to rescue soldiers who were quartered in the area near the planes, with no injuries reported.

A senior Israel Air Force official admitted Monday that eight of Israel's most advanced fighter jets were severely damaged, adding it could have been prevented if the army had prepared for the stormy weather in advance.  

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– Haaretz Weekly Ep. 56

Haaretz Weekly Ep. 56Haaretz

Three of the planes suffered serious damage, while five sustained lesser damage and could return to service in the coming weeks, the official projected.

He added that the jets that were transferred from the hangers to the runways at the base before the rainstorms struck remained intact. According to Air Force estimates, if all fighter jets had been removed from the hangers beforehand – which was technically possible – the damage to all planes would have been averted. The army refused to disclose the number of combat jets parked in the flooded base.

While admitting that the damage to the jets could have been prevented, the official blamed the civil authorities for failing to build drainage systems for the rainwater. The official said that the base in question is situated in an area prone to flooding and that the Air Force is incapable of draining floodwater by itself.   

But the Air Force is responsible of draining rainwater accumulated in structures within IDF bases, including the hangers in which the damaged planes were parked.