
https://www.facebook.com/IsraelMOD/post ... 439496270/
https://www.janes.com/defence-intellige ... operations“The 193rd Squadron (‘Defenders of the West') reopened yesterday [on 28 July 2026] in a ceremony at the Palmahim Air Base [on the Mediterranean coast]. The squadron will operate the new SH-60F helicopter to carry out naval assistance missions and expand the operational response in the maritime space,” the IAF said. The 193rd Sqn had until its temporary disbandment in September 2025 operated the Airbus AS565 Panther at Ramat David Air Force Base.
News of the milestone came a decade after the US State Department approved the Excess Defense Article (EDA) transfer of eight surplus SH-60F helicopters and their related equipment to Israel in July 2016. EDA equipment is offered to allied nations at no cost other than the expense of refurbishment and shipping, with Israel paying approximately USD300 million for the SH-60Fs.