Israeli Air Force Opens First Haredi Underground Hangar at Tel Nof

The Israeli Air Force opened its first-ever Haredi underground hangar this week at Tel Nof Air Base, with about 20 Haredi technicians beginning work on F-15 aircraft in Squadron 106, known as "Chud HaHanit". The move is described as part of the IDF effort to expand enlistment and create meaningful service tracks adapted to the Haredi lifestyle.

The technicians were recruited last week after completing a two-month professional training course at the Air Force technical base in Haifa, a program specially tailored to their needs. That training qualified them for first-level technician duties, and they will now operate inside the new protected facility at Tel Nof.

Tel Nof, also known as Air Force Base 8, is one of the Air Force's central bases and has been at the center of operational activity in recent months. Defense Minister Israel Katz recently visited the base and delivered a message of strength from the F-15 squadron, referring to the possibility of the collapse of Iran's ayatollah regime. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also visited and told crews involved in Operation "Rage of the Lion" that "we continue to strike and weaken the axis of terror from the head in Tehran to its main arm in Beirut."

According to the official announcement, the IDF is expanding enlistment tracks out of operational need, including by widening existing programs and implementing General Staff directives. The goal is to allow meaningful service while fully preserving the Haredi way of life, including opportunities to move into command and officer roles. The new Tel Nof hangar is presented as a practical example of that approach. The Haredi technicians will maintain and support F-15B, F-15C and F-15D aircraft, which are a backbone of the Air Force, handling routine maintenance, professional servicing and technical support for operational jets.