Operation Nickel Grass was a strategic airlift operation conducted by the United States to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The Military Airlift Command of the U.S. Air Force shipped 22,325 tons of tanks, artillery, ammunition, and supplies in C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft between October 12 and November 14, 1973. This rapid supply mission was critical to Israel's ability to fully recapture the Sinai from Egypt, which it had occupied since the Six Day war in 1967 and advance beyond the Purple Line into Syria. Strategic airlift is a military term for using cargo aircraft to transport matériel, weaponry, or personnel over long distances. ... Planning, calculating, or the giving or receiving of information. ... Combatants  Israel  Egypt,  Syria, br/>  Iraq Commanders Moshe Dayan, David Elazar, Ariel Sharon, Shmuel Gonen, Benjamin Peled, Israel Tal, Rehavam Zeevi, Aharon Yariv, Yitzhak Hofi, Rafael Eitan, Abraham Adan, Yanush Ben Gal Saad El Shazly, Ahmad Ismail Ali, Hosni Mubarak, Mohammed Aly Fahmy, Anwar Sadat, Abdel Ghani el-Gammasy, Abdul... MAC shield Military Airlift Command (MAC) was a former United States Air Force command. ... “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... C-141 Starlifter A C-141 Starlifter leaves a vapor trail over Antarctica // The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter in service with the United States Air Force. ... The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ...

Combatants  Israel  Egypt,  Syria, br/>  Iraq Commanders Moshe Dayan, David Elazar, Ariel Sharon, Shmuel Gonen, Benjamin Peled, Israel Tal, Rehavam Zeevi, Aharon Yariv, Yitzhak Hofi, Rafael Eitan, Abraham Adan, Yanush Ben Gal Saad El Shazly, Ahmad Ismail Ali, Hosni Mubarak, Mohammed Aly Fahmy, Anwar Sadat, Abdel Ghani el-Gammasy, Abdul... Combatants Israel Syria Commanders Michael Barkai unknown Strength 5 ships¹: 3 SAAR 4 class 2 SAAR 3 class 1 torpedo boat 1 minesweeper 2 Komar-class missile boats 1 Osa-class missile boat Casualties unknown All five ships ¹although source could also be interpreted to refer to 12 ships The...

Operation

When Egypt and Syria, along with some Iraqi troops, attacked the Sinai and the Golan Heights, respectively, on the noon of October 6, 1973, Israeli forces were largely caught by surprise. Arab armies moved forward rapidly. With their successes early in the war, Arab nations also issued a warning that they would stop all oil shipments to any nation that assisted Israel in defense. While the Israel Defense Forces managed to stabilize the situation (and within two weeks would launch devastating counterattacks deep into enemy territory), it soon became clear that Israel was in desperate need of supplies. On October 9, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir issued a personal appeal for assistance. European nations staunchly refused, but U.S. President Richard Nixon agreed to send aid and military supplies, especially since the Soviets were beginning their own large scale resupply operation of Arab forces by air and ship. Commercial carriers were contacted, but none were willing to accept the job for fear of being refused entry to Arab nations after the war. Only the Israeli national airline, El Al, offered to help. Supplies began to arrive in Israel on October 10. Nonetheless, it was soon clear that El Al's limited supply of ill-configured passenger aircraft were not up to the task. Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 For other uses of the word Sinai, please see: Sinai (disambiguation). ... The Golan Heights (‎ Ramat HaGolan, Arabic: Habat al-Å«lān) or Golan is a mountainous area in northeastern Israel[1] on the border of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “Arab States” redirects here. ... Emblem of the IDF The Israel Defense Forces are part of the Israeli Security Forces. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Prime Minister of Israel (Hebrew: ראש הממשלה, Rosh HaMemshala, lit. ... Golda Meir (‎, born Golda Mabovitz, May 3, 1898 - December 8, 1978), known as Golda Meyerson from 1917-1956, was one of the founders of the State of Israel. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... “CCCP” redirects here. ... Afghanistan Ariana Afghan Airlines Albania Albanian Airlines Algeria Air Algérie Angola TAAG Argentina Aerolíneas Argentinas Armenia Armenian Airlines Australia Qantas Austria Austrian Airlines Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Airlines The Bahamas Bahamasair Bahrain Gulf Air (regional) Bangladesh Biman Bangladesh Belarus Belavia Belgium SN Brussels Airlines Sabena (former) Belize Maya Island Air... Categories: Airline stubs | Companies of Israel | Transportation in Israel | Airlines of Israel ... A Boeing 777 jet airliner of American Airlines landing at Heathrow Airport, London. ...

On October 14, Nixon decided that no more delays could be allowed, and ordered the Air Force to "send everything that can fly." Within nine hours, C-141s and C-5s were en-route to Israel. The political maneuvering was not immediately solved by the Air Force's participation however: traditional European allies refused to allow re-supply aircraft to land for refueling or even overfly their territory. Portugal seemed willing to help though, so aircraft were dispatched to Lajes Field. After a few hours in the air, word came through that Portugal would permit them to land, and Lajes became a key staging point for the rest of the airlift. To comply with the demands of other European nations, even U.S. supplies already stationed in Europe were routed through Lajes, and soon over 30 aircraft per day were moving through Lajes. To accommodate this, the base instantly grew to house an extra 1,300 people who were billeted in improvised housing and hastily reactivated World War II barracks. is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... C-141 Starlifter A C-141 Starlifter leaves a vapor trail over Antarctica // The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter in service with the United States Air Force. ... The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ... Lajes Air Base Diagram Lajes Field (or Air Base NR4), (IATA: TER, ICAO: LPLA), is a United States Air Force facility located near Lajes on Terceira Island in the Azores, Portugal. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A barracks housing conscripts of Norrbottens regemente in Boden, Sweden. ...

Between Portugal and Israel, the aircraft had to follow an extremely precise route. Flying exactly along the airspace border between hostile Arab nations to the south and European nations to the north, the transport craft flew down the middle of the Mediterranean Sea to Israel. Fighter escort was deemed necessary for this leg of the journey, so American fighters from the U.S. 6th Fleet escorted the transports to within 150 miles of Israel, where Israeli Air Force Phantoms and Mirages escorted them into Ben Gurion International Airport. Along the Mediterranean route, American ships were stationed every 300 miles, and an aircraft carrier every 600 miles. These precautions were justified when unidentified Arab fighters made threats over the radio, but no conflict ensued. Upon arrival, the transports were unloaded by U.S. and Israeli servicemen before they returned home and supplies were expedited to the front where they arrived within a few hours. Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... The Sixth Fleet is a US Navy operational unit, headquartered on the command ship Mount Whitney (LCC-20) with its homeport in Gaeta, Italy and operating in the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Israeli Air Force (IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל, Zroa HaAvir VeHaḤalal, Air and Space Division, commonly known as חיל האוויר Hel HaAvir) is the air force of the Israel Defense Forces. ... “F-4” redirects here. ... The Dassault Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. ... Ben Gurion International Airport or Ben Gurion Airport (‎, Namal HaTeÅ«fa Ben GÅ«ryōn, Arabic: , maṭār Ben Ghuryon ad-dawlÄ«) (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), historically known as Lydda Airport and sometimes referred to today by its Hebrew acronym Natbag (‎), is the largest international airport in Israel. ... Four aircraft carriers, (bottom-to-top) Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault carrier USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and in most cases recover aircraft, acting as a sea...

Airlifted supplies were not all that was delivered under Nickel Grass. In the opening days of the war, Arab forces destroyed significant numbers of Israeli Air Force aircraft, surprising the Israelis with aggressive use of the new Soviet SA-6 Gainful Surface-to-air missile. Consequently, 36 F-4 Phantom jet fighters were sold to Israel under Nickel Grass. They were flown to Lod, where American pilots were swapped for their Israeli counterparts. After the replacement of USAF insignia with IAF insignia if needed, the planes were refueled and ordered to the front, often taking to the air within hours of having arrived. Interestingly, some aircraft came directly from the USAFE fleet and operated in USAF camouflage, but with Israeli insignia. A 3M9 TEL with missiles erected. ... Akash Missile Firing French Air Force Crotale battery Bendix Rim-8 Talos surface to air missile of the US Navy A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ... The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... Downtown area of Lod Lod (Hebrew לוֹד; Arabic اَلْلُدّْ al-Ludd, Greco-Latin Lydda, Tiberian Hebrew לֹד Lōḏ) is a city in the Center District of Israel in Israel. ... Categories: Stub | Commands of the U.S. Air Force ... Countershaded Ibex are almost invisible in the Israeli desert. ...

When the war ended on October 24, the airlift immediately slowed. Further flights were made to rebuild Israeli forces to their pre-war strength, and Operation Nickel Grass was finally ended on November 14. is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Effects

Operation Nickel Grass had immediate and far-reaching effects. Holding to their threats, the Arab states declared a complete oil embargo on the United States. Oil prices skyrocketed, fuel became scarce, and the United States was soon embroiled in the 1973 oil crisis. The 1973 Oil Crisis began in earnest on October 17, 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC, consisting of the Arab members of OPEC plus Egypt and Syria) announced, as a result of the ongoing Yom Kippur War, that they would no longer ship petroleum...

Nickel Grass also revealed a severe deficiency in American airlift capabilities: the need for staging bases overseas. Without Portugal's assistance, the airlift might not even have been possible. As a result, the U.S. greatly expanded its aerial refueling capabilities and made long-distance flight operations the standard rather than the exception. Boom and receptacle: USAF KC-135R Stratotanker, two F-15s (twin fins) and two F-16s, on an aerial refueling training mission IAF Il-76 MD refueling two Mirage 2000 fighter jets German Luftwaffe Airbus A310 MRTT ready for refueling, shown at the Paris Air Show 2007 Aerial refueling, also...

A GAO study of the operation discussed the shortcomings of the C-141A. As a result, the C-141B was conceived. The A models were sent back to Geogia where they were cut fore and aft of the wing, extended in length by two pallet sections, and refitted for refueling.

Nickel Grass vindicated the Air Force decision to purchase the C-5 Galaxy. Since their introduction in 1970, the C-5 had been plagued by problems. The Air Force claimed to have rectified the problems, but the C-5 was still viewed by the press as a monstrously expensive failure. During Nickel Grass, C-5s carried 48% of the total cargo in only 145 of the 567 total missions. The C-5 also carried "outsize" cargo that could not fit in smaller aircraft such as M60 Patton tanks, M109 howitzers, ground radar systems, mobile tractor units, CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, and A-4 Skyhawk components. This incredible performance justified the C-5 in the public's eyes, and allowed the Air Force to move forwards with the proposed upgrade to the C-5B variant. For other uses, see M60. ... The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. ... The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. ... The A-4 Skyhawk was an attack aircraft originally designed to operate from United States Navy aircraft carriers. ...

Another effect of the operation was the near resignation of then United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General George Brown. It is reported Brown was livid that US weapons and munitions were being sent to a foreign country contemporaneously with the American command in Vietnam protesting a lack of supplies in their theater of operations.^[1] Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a grouping comprising the Chiefs of service of each major branch of the armed services in the United States armed forces. ... GEN George S. Brown Gen. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HJ13Ak01.html

• Airforce Magazine: The Operation that Saved Israel by Walter J. Boyne
• Sam McGowan's Airlift History
• Aerospace Power Journal: Operation Nickel Grass - Airlift in Support of National Policy by Chris J. Krisinger

See also

• Israel-United_States_military_relations