Episode Details

How did a scrappy startup air force go from smuggling Nazi-designed fighters out of Czechoslovakia to modifying America's most advanced stealth jet? This episode traces the Israel Air Force's fleet evolution — from the patchwork collection of 1948 to today's heavily customized F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s. We cover the French embargo that sparked a domestic aircraft industry, the espionage that led to the Nesher, the engineering triumph of the Kfir, and why the Lavi program was canceled despite being an excellent fighter. A story of necessity, ingenuity, and the longest-running modification program in aviation history.