Sixty years ago, an Iraqi pilot flew one of the Soviet Union’s most advanced fighter jets to Israel in a daring Mossad and Israeli Air Force operation that gave Israel unprecedented access to the MiG-21.
By David Brummer
The operation began with a simple request. Then-Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Ezer Weizman approached Mossad chief Meir Amit and asked whether the intelligence agency could help the Air Force. His request was direct: bring Israel a MiG-21.
At the time, the Soviet-built fighter was among the most advanced aircraft operated by Israel’s Arab adversaries. The most practical way to obtain one was to find an Iraqi pilot willing to defect with his aircraft.
The search eventually led to Munir Redfa, an Iraqi pilot of Christian background who believed his religion was holding back his career and who had become increasingly frustrated with the Iraqi regime.
Redfa agreed to defect, provided that his family would be brought to safety in Israel.
A deception operation was arranged to get his family out of Iraq. They traveled to Europe under the pretext of attending a family gathering, with plans for them to board an El Al flight to Israel before Redfa made his escape.
There was another complication. Redfa was flying MiG-17s, not MiG-21s. He was eventually sent for conversion training on the newer aircraft, giving him the skills needed for the mission.
On August 16, 1966, Redfa took off from Iraq and headed for Israel. Two Mirage fighters scrambled when the unidentified aircraft appeared over Israeli territory.
One of the pilots, Ran Pecker, was unaware of the operation and initially believed the MiG needed to be shot down. An order from the Air Force commander stopped the interception, and the Mirages instead escorted Redfa to Hatzor Air Base.
The aircraft, code-named the “Blue Bird,” was immediately examined by Israeli experts. Test pilot Danny Shapira flew it against Israeli aircraft, allowing the Air Force to study its strengths and weaknesses.
Israeli personnel discovered limitations including its relatively short endurance, the vulnerability of its wing-mounted fuel tanks and restricted visibility from parts of the cockpit.
The intelligence gained from the MiG-21 became part of Israel’s operational knowledge and later proved valuable in preparing pilots to face the aircraft in combat.
The MiG was eventually transferred to the United States, which was fighting MiG-21s in Vietnam and wanted to study the aircraft itself. The MiG now displayed at the Israeli Air Force Museum is a replacement aircraft given to Israel in return.
The mission, carried out jointly by the Mossad and the Air Force, remains one of the most remarkable intelligence operations in Israeli military history.
