Former IAF Fighter Pilot and Brigadier General Aharon Shavit Dies at 91

Brigadier General (res.) Aharon "Yalo" Shavit, a former fighter pilot and senior Israeli Air Force commander, passed away on Saturday at the age of 91. Shavit played a pioneering role in the development of the IAF, commanding fighter squadrons, establishing the Etzion Airbase in Sinai, and serving as air attaché in the United States.

Military Career and Combat Record

Born as Aharon Yalovsky, Shavit was drafted into the flight academy in 1953 and later changed his Hebrew name. During the 1956 Sinai War, he flew Mystère jets with the 101st Squadron and shot down two Egyptian Vampire aircraft. In 1966, he took command of the Scorpion Squadron, leading strike packages during Operation Moked at the outbreak of the Six-Day War, where he also downed a Syrian MiG-21.

During the War of Attrition, Shavit flew Skyhawk and F-4 Phantom aircraft, participating in deep strikes including Operation Rimon Air against the Ras Banas naval base in Egypt. In 1971, he was appointed as the founding commander of the Etzion Airbase, commanding the strategic outpost through the Yom Kippur War.

Tributes and Legacy

"Yalo was one of the IAF's most prominent fighter pilots, a brave and pioneering commander, and a beloved cousin and dear friend," wrote Ness Ziona Mayor Shmuel Boxer in a tribute.

Following his military retirement in 1979, Shavit served as head of the Defense Ministry delegation in Singapore and as vice president of operations at Elul Technologies. He remained deeply connected to his hometown of Ness Ziona throughout his life.