Israeli commandos steal Egyptian radar in 1969

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

P-12 radar cluster in deployment. Photo: Wikipedia.

On the night of December 26, 1969, Israeli commandos carried out an operation codenamed "Rooster 53" to steal a P-12 air surveillance radar that Egypt had just received from the Soviet Union. The success of the operation helped Israel and the United States possess one of the most modern radars at that time as well as find a way to jam the S-75 (SA-2) missile systems made by the Soviet Union, according to the Jewish Library.

After being defeated by Israel in the Six-Day War that broke out in 1967, the Egyptian army began to modernize, stepping up the purchase of modern weapons from the Soviet Union, including advanced air defense radar systems to deal with the Israeli air force.

The Israeli military at that time operated a series of weapons captured from Egypt and Syria during the Six-Day War, in order to detect and exploit the enemy's weaknesses. The appearance of advanced weapons in the Egyptian army became a target of attention of Israeli intelligence, especially when they gradually lost their technological advantage on the battlefield, causing the activities of the Israeli air force to be detected from a distance.

In September 1969, Tel Aviv detected signs of a new, impenetrable air defense system in Cairo. The Israeli Air Force conducted a series of aerial reconnaissance missions, before identifying a modern P-12 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 in an early warning network, or act as a circular radar in 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 ​​"kidnapping" the P-12 station intact. The operation, codenamed Rooster 53, was scheduled for December 24. The Israeli Air Force selected the CH-53 Yasur heavy transport helicopter, which had just been delivered not long before, and was said to be the only helicopter capable of carrying the P-12 system, which weighed up to 7 tons.

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

Rooster 53 began at 9:00 p.m. on December 26, 1969, with a series of attacks by squadrons of A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft and F-4 Phantom II fighters against Egyptian forces along the west 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, where there isP-12 radar station.

The raiding party surprised the thinly guarded radar station and quickly took control of the area, beginning to "carve up" the radar station to take back home.

By 2 a.m. on December 27, Israeli commandos had disassembled the entire P-12 system and waited for two CH-53s to arrive to transport it. The first helicopter carried the communications vehicle and antenna, while the other CH-53 carried the four-ton radar system. Both helicopters then flew back across the Red Sea to Israeli-controlled territory.

The four-ton radar exceeded the CH-53’s maximum carrying capacity, stretching the helicopter’s frame and puncturing its hydraulic lines. The helicopter commander was faced with the choice of ditching the P-12 pod in the sea or losing control of the CH-53, which was still able to reach the Israeli coast. The pilot put the radar on the ground and landed next to it, just before losing control of the helicopter.

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

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

The lightning raid left two Egyptian soldiers dead, four captured, and only one Israeli commando wounded. The Israeli government initially tried to cover up Operation Rooster 53, but decided to publicize its progress and success a week later.

The P-12 radar was disassembled and thoroughly studied, helping Israel develop new countermeasures to neutralize the threat from Egyptian air defense systems. The complex was later handed over to the US military, similar to other Soviet weapons previously captured by Israel, such as the S-75 missile.

According to VNE