Israeli Aircraft Industries
 |
|
| Government-owned corporation | |
| Traded as | : ARSP.B1 |
| Industry | Aerospace, defence |
| Predecessor | Bedek Aviation Company |
| Founded | 1953 |
| Founder |
Al Schwimmer Shimon Peres |
| Headquarters | Lod, Israel |
|
Key people
|
Joseph Weiss (CEO and President) |
| Products | Civil and military aerospace Business jets Satellites Defence electronics Naval vessels |
| Services |
Aircraft maintenance Aircraft upgrade |
| Revenue |
 $3.83 billion USD (2014) |
|
$571 million USD (2014) |
|
|
$27 million USD (2014) |
|
|
Number of employees
|
16,000 |
| Divisions | Bedek Aviation Group Commercial Aircraft Group Military Aircraft Group Systems, Missiles & Space Group |
| Subsidiaries | ELTA Systems LTD |
| Website | www.iai.co.il |
Israel Aerospace Industries (Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ha-ta'asiya ha-avirit le-yisra'el) or IAI (תע"א) is Israel's prime aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 16,000 employees as of 2013. IAI is wholly owned by the government of Israel.
In addition to local construction of fighter aircraft, IAI also designs and builds civil aircraft, drones and designs and builds missile, avionics, and space-based systems.
Although IAI's main focus is aviation and high-tech electronics, it also manufactures military systems for ground and naval forces. Many of these products are specially suited for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) needs, while others are also marketed to foreign militaries.
Israel Aerospace Industries was founded in 1953 as Bedek Aviation Company under the initiative of Shimon Peres, then director general of the Ministry of Defense, in order to maintain Israel Defense Forces aircraft. The company originally had 70 employees and recruited American born aviation expert Al Schwimmer as the company's founder and first president.
In 1959 Bedek began manufacturing its first aircraft, a V-tailed twinjet trainer of French design, the Fouga Magister, locally called Tzukit (Monticola). The Tzukit became the Israeli Air Force principal trainer for 50 years. The IAI Tzukit was also used in the 1967 Six Day War by 147 Squadron as a close support aircraft, attacking targets on the Egyptian front during the first day of the war, when Israel's more capable combat aircraft were deployed against Arab air bases and aircraft. They were then deployed against Jordanian forces, including armour, on the West Bank. The Magister proved effective at the close-support mission albeit with heavy casualties, with six being lost.
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Wikipedia