The 1969 Israeli commando operation to steal Egyptian radar.

The Israeli army carried out a daring raid to steal the P-12 air defense radar system that Egypt had recently received from the Soviet Union.

A P-12 radar system in deployment. Photo: Wikipedia.

On the night of December 26, 1969, Israeli special forces conducted an operation codenamed "Rooster 53" to steal a P-12 air defense radar that Egypt had just received from the Soviet Union. The success of the operation allowed Israel and the United States to acquire one of the most advanced radars of the time, as well as find a jamming method to counter the Soviet-made S-75 (SA-2) missile systems, according to the Jewish Library.

After being defeated by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967, the Egyptian military began to modernize, stepping up the purchase of modern equipment from the Soviet Union, including advanced air defense radar systems to counter the Israeli air force.

The Israeli military at the time operated a range of weapons captured from Egypt and Syria during the Six-Day War, aiming to detect and exploit enemy weaknesses. The appearance of advanced equipment in the Egyptian arsenal became a target of Israeli intelligence attention, especially as they gradually lost their technological advantage on the battlefield, making Israeli air force operations detectable from afar.

In September 1969, Tel Aviv detected signs of a new, highly impenetrable air defense system in Cairo. The Israeli Air Force conducted a series of aerial reconnaissance missions before identifying a modern P-12 surveillance radar station on the Ras-Arab coast.

The P-12 "Yenisei" is a three-coordinate air surveillance radar capable of detecting targets at a range of 200 km and an altitude of 25 km. The P-12 can operate independently within an early warning network, or act as a panoramic radar within the S-75 air defense system.

Initially, the Israeli military planned to destroy the system with an airstrike, but the attack was canceled when they came up with the idea of ​​"hijacking" the P-12 system intact. Operation Rooster 53 was planned for December 24th. The Israeli Air Force chose the recently delivered CH-53 Yasur heavy transport helicopter, believed to be the only helicopter capable of carrying the P-12 system, which weighs up to 7 tons.

Israeli Air Force CH-53 Yasur helicopter. Photo: Airliners.

Rooster 53 began at 9 p.m. on December 26, 1969, with a series of attacks by squadrons of A-4 Skyhawk bombers and F-4 Phantom II fighters against Egyptian forces along the western bank of the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Taking advantage of the noise from the jets, three Super Frelon helicopters carrying Israeli commandos secretly flew in.Ras-Arab coast, whereP-12 radar station.

The raiding party surprised the thinly spread security at the radar station and quickly took control of the area, beginning to dismantle the radar station to take parts back to their country.

By 2:00 AM on December 27th, Israeli special forces had dismantled the entire P-12 system, awaiting the arrival of two CH-53 helicopters for transport. The first helicopter carried the communications vehicle and antenna, while the other CH-53 transported the 4-ton radar system. Both helicopters then flew across the Red Sea back to Israeli-controlled territory.

The 4-ton radar array exceeded the maximum payload capacity of the CH-53, causing the helicopter's frame to stretch and the hydraulic hoses to rupture. The helicopter commander then faced the choice of abandoning the P-12 cluster overboard or losing control of the CH-53, but managed to fly to the Israeli coast in time. The pilot placed the radar array on the ground and landed beside it, just before losing control of the helicopter.

The remaining CH-53 helicopter transported the communications vehicle and antenna back to base safely, then received orders to return to pick up the P-12 radar. A similar overload situation occurred, causing the helicopter to nearly crash. However, the entire P-12 system was still delivered safely as planned.

The captured P-12 radar is on display at an Israeli military museum. Photo: Wikipedia.

The lightning raid killed two Egyptian soldiers and captured four, while the Israeli side suffered only one wounded commando. The Israeli government initially intended to conceal Operation Rooster 53, but decided to publicize its progress and success a week later.

The P-12 radar was dismantled and thoroughly studied, helping Israel develop new countermeasures to neutralize the threat from Egyptian air defenses. This system was then handed over to the US military, similar to other Soviet equipment seized by Israel, such as the S-75 missiles.

According to VNE