Force 14

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Force 14
ActiveFormed in 1968/69
CountryPalestine
BranchAerial arm of the Fatah
RoleFighter, helicopter and transport pilots
Part ofPalestine Liberation Organization

Force 14 is the aerial arm of the Fatah, the largest Palestinian faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization. Envisioned as the nucleus of a future Palestinian Air Force, Force 14 personnel included both fighter, helicopter and transport pilots. Nevertheless, its main role within the PLO has been political rather than military,[1] and its activities centered on cargo and transportation. It is not known to have participated in any operations against Israel.[2]

History

Formation

Fatah's embryonic aerial unit was formed sometime in 1968/69 from a modest core of several dozen pilots and technicians trained in

Palestinian Liberation Army's Yarmouk brigade and was stationed in Syria. In 1972, however, it was detached from the brigade and attached to the Fatah's general staff, the Central Operations Room.[3] It was at this point that it received the name "Force 14", after its extension number at Fatah headquarters.[2]

Growth

Since its founding, Force 14 had been sending pilots and technicians to train with various Arab, Communist and Third World nations. These were absorbed by the air force of Syria, Algeria and Libya, as well as in various Warsaw Pact air arms.[1] 1972 saw Algeria accepting a group of 15-18 Palestinian cadets for fighter pilot training, destined to fly Syrian Air Force MiGs.[4] As the PLO developed working relations with various governments, its military means and capabilities grew. In August 1978, 32 pilots and 60 mechanics returned from various training courses, and a 150 were in training in the

Sandinistas in Nicaragua after their victory. Force 14 also provided helicopter and fighters pilots for the Nicaraguan war against the Contras, as well as crews for Aeronica, a local airline.[5]
The PLO may have also established several of its own small airlines to operate its cargo planes. These served as both a cover for PLO activities as well as the nucleus of a future Palestinian airline.[1]

Following Syria's break with the PLO and its expulsion from Lebanon in the wake of the 1982 Lebanon War, Force 14 relocated its headquarters and the bulk of its personnel to the Yemen Arab Republic, although it maintained a presence in various other Arab countries, including Algeria, Libya and Iraq. In November 1982 a Force 14 pilot crashed while flying a MiG-21 fighter in Yemen,[2] which at this time appears to have provided the force with all its fixed-wing training. Helicopter training was reportedly provided by Libya.[6] In 1985 The PLO was reported to have leased the Island of

Red Crescent.[6]

Decline

The signing of the

Al-Aqsa Intifada.[8][9]

The current state and activities of Force 14 are unknown, though it was reportedly still sending recruits on various training courses throughout the world in the mid 1990s.[2]

Known commanders

  • Usama al-'Ali - first commander[10]
  • Colonel Husayn Uwayda[1][11]
  • Colonel Shukri Tabbet[9]
  • Brigadier Fayiz Zaydan[8][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Avidan, Dan (August 18, 1985), The Air Arm of the PLO, Davar, p. 11, archived from the original on October 5, 2013
  2. ^ a b c d e Bechor, Guy (1995). PLO Lexicon (in Hebrew). Israeli Ministry of Defence. pp. 174, 175.
  3. ISBN 0-19-829265-1
    .
  4. ^ Schiff, Ze'ev (March 9, 1972), Algeria Trains Palestinians in Flight School (in Hebrew), Haaretz, p. 1
  5. ^ Sayigh, pp. 452, 453
  6. ^ a b PLO buys DC-8s, says Israel, Flight International, January 17, 1987, p. 2
  7. ^ Luft, Gal (June 1999), The Palestinian Security Services: Between Police and Army, Middle East Review of International Affairs, archived from the original on 2009-10-03, retrieved 2009-10-26
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-86372-304-9
    .
  9. ^ a b Shlein, Lior (December 1999), Colonel Tabbet, The Pilot Who Came from Syria (in Hebrew), Israeli Air Force Magazine
  10. ^ Sayigh, pp. 761, 881
  11. ^ Sayigh, p. 588
  12. ^ Sayigh, p. 890
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Force_14&oldid=1213783303"