IAI Kfir

	IAI Kfir in Madatech museum, Haifain 2008
Role	Fighter-bomber.
National origin	Israel
Manufacturer	Israel Aircraft Industries.
First flight	1970
Introduction	1975
Status	Active
Primary user	Heyl Ha'Avir.
Number built	225
Unit cost	4.5 millions $

The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir or IAI Kfir is an Israeli fighter-bomber aircraft. It is based on the French Mirage 5 but with an american turbojet and avionics.^[1] It is a single or dual seat.

Users[change | change source]

When Israel stopped using Kfir in 1996, the aircraft was sold to foreign countries.^[2] Colombia, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka bought some of them. Between 1985 and 1989, the U.S. Navy rented twenty five single-seat Kfir, as F-21A.^[3] American Kfir were used for dissimilar air combat training, for simulation of Soviet fighter aircraft like MiG-23 Flogger.

Sri Lanka used the Kfir against the Tamils Tigers^[4] rebellion.

Frawley, Gerard, The international directory of military aircraft 2002/2003 . London : Aerospace Publication, 2002. ISBN 1-875671-55-2.
Gaillard, Pierre, Avions et hélicoptères militaires d'aujourd'hui Paris, France : Larivière éditions, 1999. ISBN 2-907051-24-5.
Kaminsky, Tom, The United States Military Aviation Directory, London : Airtime Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-880588-29-3.