Operation Focus destroyed roughly 450 Arab aircraft on the first day of the Six-Day War, granting Israel immediate air superiority and shaping the war's outcome.
Key Facts
- Date and time
- 5 June 1967, 07:45 local time
- Aircraft destroyed
- ~450 Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian aircraft
- Egyptian airfields disabled
- 18 airfields put out of action
- Time to air superiority
- By noon on 5 June 1967
- IAF commander
- Maj. Gen. Mordechai Hod
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors, particularly Egypt's military buildup in the Sinai and blockade of the Strait of Tiran, created an imminent threat of war. Israel determined that a pre-emptive strike was necessary to neutralize Arab air power before a coordinated attack could be launched against Israeli territory.
At 07:45 on 5 June 1967, the Israeli Air Force launched Operation Focus, a coordinated mass airstrike targeting Egyptian air bases. Following retaliatory attacks by Syria and Jordan, the IAF extended strikes to their air bases as well. By midday, approximately 450 Arab aircraft had been destroyed, predominantly on the ground, and 18 Egyptian airfields had been disabled.
The destruction of Arab air forces within hours gave Israel unchallenged air superiority for the remainder of the Six-Day War. This allowed Israeli ground forces to advance rapidly across the Sinai, West Bank, and Golan Heights. Operation Focus is widely regarded as one of the most effective pre-emptive air campaigns in military history.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Mordechai Hod.
Side B
3 belligerents