ABSTRACT
With 620 combat aircraft, Syria has the largest air force of the countries bordering Israel. By comparison, Egypt has 540 and Israel 640. The Syrian Air Force has not proved its mettle in confrontations with the Israel Air Force (IAF), but it has taken an active part in the Arab-Israeli wars. Syria has nearly twice as many military airfields as Israel, and in terms of distance from targets inside Israel, all of them can accommodate strike aircraft. The chapter examines Israel's operational needs. Israel should oppose any Syrian request to install radar on the Golan, since it would be able to scan all of Israel. Israel could compensate itself for a reduction in its aerial photography capability, by employing its own reconnaissance satellites. As small as the Golan Heights is, its airspace, as well as that of Judea and Samaria, assumed new importance for IAF training flights following Israel's withdrawal from Sinai.
