Operation Rimon 20: The Israeli and Soviet Air Forces Clash

Operation Rimon 20 marks a significant clash between the Israeli Air Force and the Soviet Air Force, during which the Egyptians celebrated an Israeli victory. This confrontation took place during “The War of Attrition,” a period of continuous warfare between Israel and its Arab neighbors following the Six Day War.

The War of Attrition

The time following the Six Day War was commonly called “The War of Attrition.” It was essentially a period of continuous warfare between Israel and its Arab neighbors, where neither side made any attempts to seek a ceasefire through diplomatic means. As a result, airstrikes and occasional skirmishes became the norm, yet neither side seemed able to break the apparent stalemate.

Soviet Deployment to Egypt

In an attempt to one-up the Israelis, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser visited Moscow and requested “expanded Soviet assistance.” Consequently, elements of the Soviet military were deployed to Egypt to support the Egyptian military. This included surface-to-air missile units and the 135th Fighter Aviation Regiment, flying the MiG-21MG, the latest variant of the type. Cairo never publicly announced the deployment of Soviet units to Egypt, and the Soviet MiGs were given Egyptian markings. But Israeli intelligence soon learned about the Soviet forces after their arrival. They made their presence known when they began to intercept Israeli aircraft.

Israeli Strategic Response

At first, the Israeli Air Force didn’t want to risk possible engagement with the Soviets. However, after two of their F-4s were shot down by Soviet SAMs and a flight of Skyhawks was chased back into Israel by MiG-21s, their stance soon changed. On July 30, 1970, Israeli strikes targeted SAM sites near the Suez Canal, while a pair of Mirages conducted what seemed to be a reconnaissance flight into Egypt. As expected, the Soviets scrambled their MiG-21s to intercept the intruders, believing it would be an easy victory. However, more Mirages and a flight of F-4 Phantoms soon appeared.

The Ambush and Aftermath

By the time it was all over, five MiG-21s and four Soviet pilots had been lost, whereas only one Mirage was damaged and forced to return to base with its pilot surviving. Most Israeli pilots who took part in the battle were veterans with five or more kills, while the Soviet pilots had yet to see any form of combat. Needless to say, the Soviet leadership remained quiet about the incident.

Unexpected Celebrations

While the Soviets managed to shoot down one Phantom a day later, they discovered who truly controlled the skies. In a strange twist of fate, the Egyptian Air Force celebrated the Israeli victory as well. Their Soviet counterparts had given them grief about not being able to defeat such an “inferior” enemy.

~NC