"In terms of endurance, it has no real limitation": A new reinforcement for the Air Force
The second "Gideon" refueling aircraft landed at Nevatim and will join the Air Force's strategic array. The aircraft carries a large amount of fuel, is capable of receiving fuel in the air, and will implement fresh operational lessons from distant theaters, including Iran.
A significant reinforcement for the Air Force. After a one-day delay, the second refueling aircraft purchased by the IDF landed today at the Nevatim Air Force base. This is the "Gideon" aircraft, which is based on a Boeing 767 platform developed as a refueling and military transport aircraft by the US Army. Israel has ordered six aircraft of this model, and the Air Force seeks to exercise the option to receive two more aircraft, as appears in the agreement between the Ministry of Defense and the US government.
"The great advantage of the aircraft – which is based on a Boeing 767 – stems from a combination of advanced aeronautics with advanced military systems from several models. Its main advantage is the amount of fuel it carries: in the space where a passenger plane has a cargo hold, the Gideon aircraft has fuel tanks. Our refueling system is from Boeing, which developed it together with the US Army, to allow for a high and safe refueling rate," says a source in the Air Force in a conversation with Maariv.
The Gideon aircraft is the most advanced of its kind and is defined as a strategic tool.
"The aircraft is capable of refueling and receiving fuel in the air, and therefore in terms of endurance, it has no real limitation," says the source in the Air Force, who explains that refueling aircraft of this type that are in service with the US Army have accumulated operational experience in the war against Iran.
"We are conducting all the flight and maintenance training precisely to implement the lessons of the US Army from operations it carries out in various theaters around the world, as well as those learned in the last year, which are very fresh. Regarding the things that will be included in the aircraft's specification – we will still need to coordinate and refine them to reach maximum utilization," says the Air Force officer.
The Gideon is operated with a relatively small crew. "In the cockpit, there are two pilots and a navigator (or systems operator), and in addition, there is a refueling operator (Boom Operator). In total, a crew of about 4–5 people," says the source in the Air Force.
The Gideon has many goals and is capable of operating at particularly long ranges. "There are the missions for which the Americans operate it, and accordingly, they adapt the interior of the aircraft - medical evacuation, passenger transport, cargo transport, and also the installation of various systems. Regarding future capabilities, I estimate that later we will develop and install additional dedicated systems on it," says the source in the Air Force.
