Having flown the IAI Kfir since 1989, the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC) embarked on a large-scale upgrade program of its existing fleet in 2009. Combat Aircraft takes an exclusive look inside Base Aérea Capitán Germán Olano, located in Palanquero, at Colombia’s impressive Kfir operation.
FEATURE ARTICLE | COLOMBIAN KFIRS
BY MODERN FIGHTER aircraft standards, Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) Kfirs are rare. The chance to see them up close is even rarer. The air forces of Colombia and Sri Lanka are now the only air arms in the world that operate Israel’s delta-winged fighter, alongside the Airborne Tactical Advantage Company that provides contracted aggressor services in the US.
To trace the history of the ‘lion cub’ — as the Kfir name translates from Hebrew — one needs to go back to the Israeli Air Force’s Dassault Mirage IIIs. France had been a key weapons supplier to Israel and Mirage IIIs formed the backbone of Israel’s air defenses on the eve of the Six-Day War in 1967. Hoping to maintain its overseas empire in the face of mounting insurgencies, France had perceived common interests with Israel in confronting Arab nationalists. However, during the run-up to the Six- Day War, France embargoed the d…
