Netz 107

Netz 107 is a General Dynamics F-16A block 10 Fighting Falcon of the Israeli Air Force, tail number 107. Netz 107 participated in Operation Opera, bombing the Osiraq nuclear reactor, and was later credited with 6.5 enemy aircraft kills, a world record number of kills for an F-16.

Netz 107
Netz 107 on display during Israel Independence Day
General information
Type	General Dynamics F-16A block 10 Fighting Falcon (Netz)
Owners	Israeli Air Force / IDF/AF
Serial	107
History
First flight	1980
In service	2 July 1980
Last flight	2015
Preserved at	Preserved on display at the Israeli Air Force Museum.

Operational service

The first F-16A/B Netz fighters arrived in Israel during 1980 and were issued to 117 Squadron (Israel) of the Israeli Air Force. Netz 107 was the first F-16 to touch Israeli soil when it landed on 2 July 1980 at Ramat David Airbase.

On 7 June 1981 Netz 107 took part in Operation Opera, piloted by Amos Yadlin, and was the second F-16 to strike the Osiraq nuclear reactor after wing leader Zeev Raz.

Netz 107 scored its first aerial kill on 21 April 1982 when pilot Zeev Raz shot down a Syrian Air Force MiG-23. During Operation Peace for Galilee it shot down 6 more Syrian aircraft. On 9 June 1982, Eliezer Shkedi shot down two MiG-23s, although one was shared with another pilot. On Friday 11 June 1982 pilot Eytan Stibbe shot down four Syrian aircraft.

Several years later Netz 107 was re-allocated to 253 Squadron (Israel) along with other F-16A/Bs. In 2015 it was retired from service and put on display at the Israeli Air Force Museum.

Kills

Date	Pilot	Weapon	Target
7 June 1981	Amos Yadlin	Mark 84 Bomb	Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor
21 April 1982	Zeev Raz	AIM-9 Sidewinder	Syrian MiG-23
9 June 1982	Eliezer Shkedi	AIM-9 Sidewinder	Syrian MiG-23 (shared kill)
9 June 1982	Eliezer Shkedi	AIM-9 Sidewinder	Syrian MiG-23
11 June 1982	Eytan Stibbe	AIM-9 Sidewinder	Syrian MiG-23
11 June 1982	Eytan Stibbe	AIM-9 Sidewinder	Syrian Sukhoi Su-22
11 June 1982	Eytan Stibbe	M61A1 Vulcan gun	Syrian Sukhoi Su-22
11 June 1982	Eytan Stibbe	missile	Syrian Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopter

External links

• אלוף ההפלות: זהו איתן סטיבה – האסטרונאוט הישראלי October 2020 (Hebrew)
• IAF F-16s kill tallies in F-16.net
• Record-breaking F-16 Falcon to be retired from IDF service, ynet, 11 February 2015
• xnir photography, IAF F-16 Netz 107 photo gallery in Flickr
• מטוס האף־16 שהפיל הכי הרבה מטוסי אויב פורש לפנסיה במוזיאון חיל האוויר, ידיעות אחרונות, 9 February 2015 (Hebrew)
• איתן סטיבה מתאר הפלת 2 מטוסי סוחוי-22, מטוס מיג 23 ומסוק גאזל ב-11.6.1982 Archived 20 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, באתר "מרקיע שחקים" (Hebrew)
• IAF F-16 Netz 107, photos in Flickr