Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| IAI Kfir in Madatech museum, Haifa in 2008 | |
| Role | Fighter-bomber. |
| National origin | Israel |
| Manufacturer | Israel Aircraft Industries. |
| First flight | 1970 |
| Introduction | 1975 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | Heyl Ha'Avir. |
| Number built | 225 |
| Unit cost | 4.5 millions $ |
The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir (say "Kfeer") is a powerful Israeli fighter-bomber plane. It was designed by Israel Aircraft Industries. The Kfir looks a lot like the French Mirage 5 jet. However, the Kfir uses a different, more powerful American engine. It also has special avionics, which are the electronic systems that help the plane fly and fight.
The Kfir can be a single-seat plane, meaning it has room for one pilot. Some versions are dual-seat, which means they can carry two people, usually a pilot and a trainer.
Who Used the Kfir?
Israel stopped using the Kfir in 1996. After that, the aircraft was sold to other countries around the world.
International Users
Several countries bought the Kfir to add to their air forces. These included Colombia, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka.
Training in the United States
Between 1985 and 1989, the U.S. Navy rented twenty-five single-seat Kfir planes. They called these planes the F-21A. The American Kfirs were used for special training called dissimilar air combat training. This means pilots would practice fighting against planes that looked and flew differently from their own. The F-21A Kfirs helped American pilots learn how to fight against planes like the MiG-23 Flogger, which was a common fighter jet from the Soviet Union.
Combat Missions
The country of Sri Lanka used the Kfir in combat missions. These planes helped with security operations in the country.
