{"id":25031323,"date":"2026-09-27T10:16:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T08:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/ofira-air-battle-1973-two-f-4e-phantoms-28-migs-sharm-el-sheikh\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T15:12:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T13:12:01","slug":"ofira-air-battle-1973-two-f-4e-phantoms-28-migs-sharm-el-sheikh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/ofira-air-battle-1973-two-f-4e-phantoms-28-migs-sharm-el-sheikh\/","title":{"rendered":"Ofira Air Battle 1973: Two Israeli Phantoms Against 28 MiGs"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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The sirens went off. The controller did not scramble them. On the radar screens, a formation of Egyptian jets was heading straight for the base.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Amir Nachumi decided not to wait for permission. Within minutes he and his wingman, Daniel Shaki, were in the air against 28 Egyptian aircraft. By Israeli accounts, six minutes later seven of those aircraft had been shot down. By Egyptian accounts, the air battle never took place at all. That gap is what makes the Ofira air battle one of the most debated fights of the Yom Kippur War.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f5f7;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:8px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.7\"><li><strong>Date:<\/strong> 6 October 1973, the first day of the Yom Kippur War<\/li><li><strong>Place:<\/strong> Ofira air base, Sharm el-Sheikh, southern Sinai<\/li><li><strong>Israeli force:<\/strong> 2 <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-4-phantom-ii\/\">F-4E Phantom II<\/a>s of 107 Squadron<\/li><li><strong>Crews:<\/strong> Amir Nachumi with navigator Yossi Yavin; Daniel Shaki with navigator David Regev<\/li><li><strong>Egyptian force:<\/strong> 20 MiG-17s escorted by 8 MiG-21s<\/li><li><strong>Israeli claims:<\/strong> 7 shot down: 4 by Nachumi, 3 by Shaki<\/li><li><strong>Egyptian position:<\/strong> No air opposition encountered; losses in the whole opening strike put at five to seven aircraft<\/li><li><strong>Duration:<\/strong> About six minutes<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Two Phantoms on the Ground<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Israel had held the Sinai since the Six-Day War of 1967, and Ofira guarded the Straits of Tiran. On 6 October the base was on red alert from 9:00 in the morning. The two Phantoms of 107 Squadron on hand that day were crewed by airmen that Wikipedia&#39;s account describes as relatively inexperienced at the time. When the sirens sounded at about 13:50, the controller failed to scramble them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Nachumi started his engines anyway and told Shaki to do the same. Getting airborne was everything: two Phantoms caught on the ground by 20 attacking MiG-17s would have been destroyed without firing a shot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;I decided to take off - the controller was screaming that there were orders not to take off... I cranked the engine and told my number two to do the same and to scramble as quickly as possible.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Amir Nachumi<\/strong> &mdash; F-4E pilot, 107 Squadron, recalling 6 October 1973<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The two Phantoms left the ground as the Egyptian formation arrived. The MiG-17s were there to bomb the base; the eight MiG-21s were there to protect them. Two heavy, fast, missile-armed fighters were suddenly in the middle of the attack.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/egyptian-air-force-mig-17-underside-in-flight.jpg\" alt=\"Egyptian Air Force MiG-17 in flight\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An Egyptian Air Force MiG-17, the type that made up most of the attacking force at Ofira. Wikimedia Commons, public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Six Minutes Over Sharm el-Sheikh<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>What followed was a close-range brawl. The F-4E carried AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles and, unlike earlier Phantoms, an internal M61 20 mm cannon. Nachumi used both. At one point, according to AvGeekery&#39;s account of the battle, an engine stalled after ingesting gun gases and had to be relit in the middle of the fight. The Phantom has two engines, and the crew got the stalled one running again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Israel credited Nachumi and Yavin with four kills and Shaki and Regev with three: seven in total, six MiG-17s and one MiG-21. Both Phantoms were running low on fuel by the end, which is why they did not chase the retreating Egyptians. They landed on the parallel runway. All four airmen were later awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8csYNXtJgbc\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">The Operations Room reconstructs the Ofira battle, minute by minute, from the Israeli accounts. Video: The Operations Room<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Battle Egypt Says Never Happened<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Here the story splits. Egyptian commanders have said that five aircraft were lost in the whole opening airstrike of the war, not just at Ofira, and Egyptian pilots on the mission said they encountered no aerial opposition at all. Official Egyptian figures for losses that day range from five to seven aircraft in total. The Israeli claim of seven kills in one engagement and the Egyptian account of none cannot both be right, and no independent record has settled it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is not unusual. Wartime claims are made in the heat of combat, often by crews who saw a missile hit or a jet go down without knowing whether it crashed. Both sides in the Arab-Israeli wars had reasons to inflate their own successes and play down their losses. What is not disputed is that Ofira was attacked, that two Phantoms got airborne against a much larger force, and that the base survived.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/israeli-f-4e-phantom-tails-row-hatzerim-museum.jpg\" alt=\"Row of Israeli F-4E Phantom tails at Hatzerim\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Israeli F-4E Phantoms preserved at the Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim. The F-4E, called Kurnass in IAF service, carried an internal 20 mm cannon. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For Nachumi it was the start of a remarkable career. He went on to score 14 confirmed aerial victories, seven in the Phantom and seven in the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\/\">F-16<\/a>, making him one of the Israeli Air Force&#39;s top aces. He later commanded 107 Squadron and 110 Squadron, then Ramat David air base, and rose to brigadier general.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;I decided that the orders were 400 kilometers away and they didn&#39;t know what was going on.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Amir Nachumi<\/strong> &mdash; on why he ignored the order to stay on the ground, as quoted by AvGeekery<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZfSpDRXsiCU\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">A detailed analysis of the Ofira engagement and the competing claims. Video: Not A Pound For Air To Ground<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The longer the debate runs, the more Ofira becomes a lesson about claims as much as about combat. Two crews broke the rules, got airborne and fought. Exactly how many MiGs they brought down is something the two sides are unlikely ever to agree on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 6px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SNd5G14fd5Y\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:0 0 24px;font-style:italic\">Another popular retelling of the Ofira air battle. Video: Dark Docs<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Ofira Air Battle, Amir Nachumi), AvGeekery<\/em><\/p>\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the Ofira air battle?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Ofira air battle took place on 6 October 1973, the first day of the Yom Kippur War, over the Israeli air base at Sharm el-Sheikh in the Sinai. Two Israeli F-4E Phantoms of 107 Squadron took off against 20 Egyptian MiG-17s escorted by 8 MiG-21s.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many MiGs did the Israeli Phantoms shoot down at Ofira?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Israel credits the two F-4E crews with seven kills in about six minutes: four for Amir Nachumi and Yossi Yavin and three for Daniel Shaki and David Regev. Egypt disputes this, saying its pilots met no air opposition and lost five to seven aircraft in the entire opening strike.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who flew the Phantoms in the Ofira air battle?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The two Israeli F-4E Phantoms were flown by pilot Amir Nachumi with navigator Yossi Yavin, and pilot Daniel Shaki with navigator David Regev, all of 107 Squadron. All four airmen were later awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did the Phantoms take off without orders at Ofira?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">When the sirens sounded at Ofira at about 13:50 on 6 October 1973, the controller failed to scramble the two alert Phantoms. Amir Nachumi started his engines anyway and ordered his wingman to follow, judging that aircraft caught on the ground by the incoming attack would be destroyed.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What weapons did the F-4E use at Ofira?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Israeli F-4E Phantoms at Ofira used AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles and the internal M61 20 mm cannon that the F-4E version carried. Amir Nachumi used both missiles and cannon during the engagement.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who was Amir Nachumi?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Amir Nachumi was an Israeli Air Force pilot who led the Phantom pair at Ofira in 1973. He scored 14 confirmed aerial victories, seven in the F-4 Phantom and seven in the F-16, commanded 107 and 110 Squadrons and Ramat David air base, and became a brigadier general.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Ofira air battle?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Ofira air battle took place on 6 October 1973, the first day of the Yom Kippur War, over the Israeli air base at Sharm el-Sheikh in the Sinai. 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All four airmen were later awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did the Phantoms take off without orders at Ofira?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"When the sirens sounded at Ofira at about 13:50 on 6 October 1973, the controller failed to scramble the two alert Phantoms. Amir Nachumi started his engines anyway and ordered his wingman to follow, judging that aircraft caught on the ground by the incoming attack would be destroyed.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What weapons did the F-4E use at Ofira?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Israeli F-4E Phantoms at Ofira used AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles and the internal M61 20 mm cannon that the F-4E version carried. Amir Nachumi used both missiles and cannon during the engagement.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who was Amir Nachumi?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Amir Nachumi was an Israeli Air Force pilot who led the Phantom pair at Ofira in 1973. He scored 14 confirmed aerial victories, seven in the F-4 Phantom and seven in the F-16, commanded 107 and 110 Squadrons and Ramat David air base, and became a brigadier general.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/giora-epstein-the-wests-greatest-jet-ace-and-the-phantom-master-of-the-yom-kippur-war\/\">Giora Epstein: The West&#39;s Greatest Jet Ace and the Phantom Master of the Yom Kippur War<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/operation-focus-israel-six-day-war-1967\/\">Three Hours That Won a War: Operation Focus, 1967<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-f-4-phantom-worlds-leading-distributor-of-mig-parts\/\">The F-4 Phantom: World&#39;s Leading Distributor of MiG Parts<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On the first day of the Yom Kippur War, two Israeli F-4Es scrambled without orders against 28 Egyptian jets. Israel claims seven kills; Egypt says the fight never happened.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":25030905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25031323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ofira Air Battle 1973: Two Phantoms Against 28 MiGs | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Ofira air battle, 6 October 1973: two Israeli F-4E Phantoms took off without orders against 28 Egyptian MiGs. 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