Ron Arad (pilot)
| Ron Arad | |
|---|---|
Picture of Ron Arad taken by Amal militants in 1987.
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| Native name | רון ארד |
| Born |
5 May 1958 Hod HaSharon |
| Allegiance | Israel |
| Service/branch | Israeli Air Force |
| Years of service | 1978–86 |
| Rank |
Lieutenant Colonel Captain at the time of his capture |
Lieutenant Colonel Ron Arad (Hebrew: רוֹן אָרָד; born 5 May 1958, presumed dead), was an Israeli Air Force weapon systems officer (WSO) who is officially classified as missing in action since October 1986, but is widely presumed dead. Arad was lost on a mission over Lebanon, captured by Shiite group Amal and was later handed over to the Hezbollah.
Arad was born on 5 May 1958 in Hod HaSharon, Israel. He studied in the Boarding Command School in Tel Aviv. Arad began military service in the Israel Defense Forces in 1978 and graduated from the IAF flight course in 1979 as a combat navigator.
In October 1985 Arad began studying chemical engineering at the Technion in Haifa.
Arad was married to Tami and is father to a daughter, Yuval.
On 16 October 1986, Arad and pilot Yishai Aviram were on a mission to attack PLO targets near Sidon, Lebanon. A bomb dropped by their F-4 Phantom II apparently exploded prematurely, causing damage to the aircraft and forcing both crewmen to eject. Aviram was located by an Israeli Bell AH-1 Cobra a few hours later, and escaped by clinging to one of its landing skids as it flew away while under heavy enemy fire, but Arad was captured by the Lebanese Amal.
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