Israeli Air Force Fighter Jets Suffer Damage in Winter Flooding
Israeli Air Force aircraft were damaged last week in southern Israel, when aircraft hangars at an military base were flooded during a storm, Channel 12 reported Sunday evening.
Multiple jet fighters were damaged in the flooding last Thursday, which left runways on the airbase swamped, along with some of the hangars.
The damage caused to the aircraft is estimated in the millions of shekels.
The report also claimed that a number of mechanics working at the base had to be rescued from the flash flood, when they found themselves suddenly immersed in flood waters as deep as a meter and a half (59 inches).
Israel’s military censor initially barred publication of the story, claiming its release could harm national security. The story was cleared for publication Sunday evening.
Air Force officials are currently conducting an investigation into the incident, looking to understand why the base was not prepared for the possibility of floods, given the stormy weather which had caused flooding around the country.
The probe is also looking into why the planes were not removed from the affected hangars once the flood had reached the base.
In a statement Sunday night, the IDF responded to the story, saying: “As a result of difficult weather conditions last week, streams near an air force base in the south overflowed and flooded several sites on the base. A number of planes were damaged. They will be repaired and will be flying again in the next few days.”
“In addition, last week work was done to drain the water from the base. There were no injuries in the incident.”
