Six-Day War Air Campaign

The 1967 Six-Day War opened with one of the most decisive air operations in military history. On the morning of June 5, 1967, the Israeli Air Force launched a surprise preemptive strike, codenamed Operation Focus, against the Egyptian air force, catching most of its aircraft on the ground.

Within hours the Israelis had effectively destroyed Egyptian air power and soon extended their strikes to the Jordanian, Syrian, and Iraqi air forces. By attacking parked aircraft and cratering runways, Israel achieved overwhelming air superiority in the opening phase of the war, with hundreds of Arab aircraft reported destroyed on the ground in the first day alone.

This command of the air proved decisive for the rest of the conflict. With enemy air forces neutralized, Israeli ground and air forces operated with relative freedom, contributing to a rapid victory over Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in just six days. The campaign became a textbook example of the strategic value of a preemptive air strike.