10 November 1947		Sherut Avir (Air Service) formed
27 December 1947		Tel Aviv Squadron established
27 March 1948		First bombing mission by Tel Aviv Squadron
14 May 1948		State of Israel proclaimed. Invasion of Israel by neighbouring Arab states commences at midnight. IDF created. Sherut Avir renamed Chel Ha'Avir
15 May 1948		Tel Aviv is attacked by Egyptian Spitfires
20 May 1948		Israeli Air Force attacks Arab ground forces for the first time
29 May 1948		First Israeli fighter mission, with four Avia S-199s attacking an Egyptian armoured column approaching Tel Aviv
3 June 1948		First air-to-air victory - S.199 shoots down Egyptian C-47 bomber
11 June 1948		The United Nations arranged truce starts at midnight
9 July 1948		Hostilities resume
19 July 1948		Second truce arranged
10 October 1948		Hostilities resume
15 October 1948		Start of Operation Yoav. Major Israeli offensive backed up with major air support
27 December 1948		Egyptian air raids on Tel Aviv and Haifa. Israeli aircraft attack El Arish and Rafah
7 January 1949		Israeli Spitfires intercept and shoot down four RAF Spitfires near the border. An RAF Tempest is shot down later in the day
25 February 1949		Armistice signed between Israel and Egypt. End of the War of Independence
1 January 1950		Flying School for new pilots established
May 1951		First IDF/AF helicopters arrive, two Hiller 360s
17 June 1953		First IDF/AF jet aircraft arrive, two Meteor T.7s
19 August 1954		France agrees to supply Mystere IV jet fighters to Israel
27 October 1955		Egypt announces big arms deal with Czechoslovakia, including MiG-15s and jet bombers
1 November 1955		Jordan announces its intention to upgrade and modernise its air force
25 October 1956		Egypt, Syria and Jordan agree to form a unified Arab military command
29 October 1956		Start of the Sinai Campaign. Israel launches a surprise attack on Egypt in support of the Anglo-French attempt to retake the Suez Canal
6 November 1956		Ceasefire comes into effect. United Nations monitors Israeli withdrawal
May 1963		Dassault Mirage III enters service.
7 April 1967		Major air battle over the Sea of Galilee, between Syrian MiG-21s and Israeli Mirages
5 June 1967		Start of the Six Day War. Pre-emptive strike on Arab airfields destroys many aircraft on the ground. Israel recaptures the Sinai
8 June 1967		Israeli attack on USS Liberty intelligence gathering ship
March 1969		Start of War of Attrition. Repeated dogfights over the Suez Canal zone
8 August 1970		War of Attrition ended by American sponsored cease-fire
6 September 1969		Arrival of first F-4E Phantoms announced
30 July 1970		IDF/AF fighters ambush Russian piloted Egyptian MiG-21s and shoot five down
1971		Jericho I nuclear missile system enters service.
13 September 1973		Large air battle with Syrian fighters over the Mediterranean. Thirteen Syrian MiG-21s shot down for one Mirage lost
6 October 1973		Start of Yom Kippur war. Simultaneous attack by Egypt and Syria on two fronts: Golan Heights and across the Suez Canal. Many IDF/AF aircraft lost to SAMs. Urgent supplies from the USA avert the possibility of a defeat
1974		First deliveries of AH-1 Cobra
3/4 July 1976		Commando raid on Entebbe Airport, Uganda, rescues 103 hostages held by hijackers
14 March 1978		Operation Litani begins. Invasion of Lebanon up the Litani river, to remove PLO camps. United Nations intervention results in Israeli withdrawal
1980		F-16A enters service.
7 June 1981		Bombing raid on Iraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad
25 April 1982		Sinai returned to Egypt - along with 3 ex-IDF/AF air bases
6 June 1982		Operation Peace for Galilee. Major dogfights with Syrian AF over Lebanon.
19 August 1982		Multi National force begins to arrive in Beirut
4 September 1982		Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon begins
June 1985		Withdrawal from Lebanon to border 'security zone' completed
1 October 1985		Bombing raid on PLO headquarters in Tunis
9 Dec 1987		Intifada (uprising) starts in Palestinian territories against Israeli rule.
Sept 1990		AH-64A Apache enters service.
17 January 1991		Start of the First Gulf war. Iraqi 'scud' missiles fired at Israel
23 May 1991		Operation Solomon - Airlift of 14,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel begins
11 Apr 1996		Operation Grapes of Wrath - air strikes on Hezbollah positions.
Jan 1998		F-15I enters service.
Sept 2000		Second Intifada begins. Israel uses helicopter launched missiles to assassinate Palestinian leaders
2001		First female fighter pilot graduates from training
April 2002		Operation Defensive Shield - anti-terrorist incursion by IDF units into the West Bank.
April 2004		F-16I enters service.
1 June 2005		IDF/AF renamed Israel Air and Space Force (IASF)
28 June 2006		Air support for launch of IDF operations in the Gaza Strip.
12 July 2006		Second Lebanon War starts. Air attacks on Hezbollah positions and Lebanese infrastructure
14 Aug 2006		Second Lebanon War ends with UN arranged ceasefire.