Force 14

Force 14 was the aerial arm of Fatah, the largest faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization. It was not a conventional commercial airline or consumer brand, but a political-military aviation organization whose personnel included fighter, helicopter, and transport pilots, as well as aviation technicians and mechanics. Its principal importance lay in organization, training, logistics, and international political relationships rather than in a documented record of combat operations against Israel. The unit emerged from a small Fatah aviation group formed around 1968 or 1969. The original concept reportedly involved training pilots for suicide missions against strategic targets in Israel, but the organization soon adopted a broader and more conventional objective: developing the personnel and institutional base for a future Palestinian air force that could cooperate with the armed forces of Arab states. During Fatah's military reorganization in 1971, the aviation unit was attached to the Palestinian Liberation Army's Yarmouk brigade in Syria. In 1972 it was separated from that formation and placed under Fatah's general staff, where it received the name Force 14, reportedly derived from the extension number of Fatah headquarters. Training was conducted through relationships with a range of Arab, communist, and other non-aligned states. Palestinian pilots and technicians trained in Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Syria, and Warsaw Pact countries. Algeria accepted a group of approximately 15 to 18 Palestinian cadets for fighter-pilot training in 1972, with the stated intention that they would eventually fly Syrian Air Force MiG aircraft. By the late 1970s, the organization had expanded its trained personnel base; reports indicated that dozens of pilots and mechanics returned from overseas courses in 1978, while a larger group continued training in Eastern Europe the following year. Force 14 also served as an instrument of PLO diplomacy and military assistance. Personnel were reportedly dispatched to support Idi Amin's Ugandan air force in 1976. The organization was also associated with arms and supply deliveries to Nicaragua after the Sandinistas' victory, and Palestinian personnel reportedly served as helicopter and fighter pilots during Nicaragua's war against the Contras. Other personnel were linked to Aeronica, a Nicaraguan airline. The PLO may additionally have operated or sponsored small cargo-airline structures, which could provide transport capacity, logistical utility, and organizational cover while also serving as a foundation for a future Palestinian airline. The 1982 Lebanon War and Syria's subsequent break with the PLO forced a major relocation. Force 14 moved its headquarters and much of its personnel to the Yemen Arab Republic, while retaining connections or personnel in Algeria, Libya, and Iraq. Yemen appears to have become the main center for fixed-wing training. In November 1982, a Force 14 pilot reportedly died when a MiG-21 crashed in Yemen. Libya was associated with helicopter training. In 1985, reports stated that the PLO had leased Kamaran Island from Yemeni authorities for use as a Force 14 base. In 1987, the PLO was also reported to have obtained four McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft, operated from Yemen under Red Crescent colors, although the details and operational scope of that arrangement remain uncertain. The Oslo Accords of September 1993 changed the institutional environment in which Force 14 operated. With the creation of the Palestinian National Authority and the opening of Gaza International Airport, an Aviation Police unit, known in Arabic as Shurta al-Jawiya, was formed under the Palestinian Civil Aviation Department. Numbering approximately 200 personnel, it drew heavily on Force 14 members and initially included crews responsible for maintaining and operating three Mil Mi-17 helicopters. The helicopters were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force on 3 December 2001 during the Second Intifada. Force 14's later status is unclear. Reports indicated that it was still sending recruits abroad for training during the mid-1990s, but publicly documented information about its subsequent organization, assets, and activities is limited.

Force 14 developed from a small Fatah aviation group established around 1968 or 1969. Its early personnel were trained in Algeria, Morocco, and Libya. Although the initial concept reportedly contemplated suicide missions against Israeli strategic targets, the unit's purpose soon shifted toward creating the trained personnel and institutional framework for a future Palestinian air force. This proposed force was expected to cooperate with the air forces of Arab states rather than operate solely as an independent formation. Fatah's reorganization in 1971 placed the aviation unit under the Palestinian Liberation Army's Yarmouk brigade in Syria. In 1972 it was detached from the brigade and transferred to Fatah's general staff and Central Operations Room. At that stage it acquired the designation Force 14, reportedly taking its name from the telephone extension used at Fatah headquarters. Throughout the 1970s, Force 14 sent pilots, mechanics, and other specialists to military aviation schools in Arab, communist, and non-aligned countries. Syria, Algeria, Libya, and Warsaw Pact air forces were among the organizations connected with this training. Algeria accepted approximately 15 to 18 Palestinian fighter-pilot cadets in 1972, with the expectation that they would later fly Syrian MiGs. Reports from 1978 and 1979 described the return of 32 pilots and 60 mechanics from overseas training and the continuation of training for roughly 150 additional personnel in Eastern Bloc countries. The organization also acquired a diplomatic and logistical role. In 1976, its personnel reportedly assisted Idi Amin's Ugandan air force. After the Sandinista victory in Nicaragua, Force 14 was associated with the movement of arms and supplies and with the provision of helicopter and fighter pilots during the war against the Contras. Palestinian aviation personnel were also reportedly involved with Aeronica, a Nicaraguan airline. The PLO may have operated several small cargo-airline structures, which provided transport and logistical capabilities while potentially serving as cover for PLO activity and as a nucleus for a future Palestinian airline. The 1982 Lebanon War led to a major change in the unit's geography. Following Syria's break with the PLO and the PLO's expulsion from Lebanon, Force 14 moved its headquarters and most of its personnel to the Yemen Arab Republic. It continued to maintain a presence in Algeria, Libya, Iraq, and other Arab countries. Yemen appears to have supplied the principal fixed-wing training environment. A Force 14 pilot was killed in November 1982 when a MiG-21 crashed there, while Libya was reportedly the main location for helicopter training. In 1985, reports said the PLO had leased Kamaran Island from Yemen for Force 14. In 1987, the PLO was reportedly linked to four McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft operating from Yemen under Red Crescent colors. The precise ownership, use, and operational history of those aircraft are not fully established in the available reference material. The Oslo Accords of 1993 and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority reduced the distinct institutional role of Force 14. The opening of Gaza International Airport was accompanied by the creation of an approximately 200-member Aviation Police, or Shurta al-Jawiya, under the Palestinian Civil Aviation Department. The unit was largely based on Force 14 personnel and initially included aviation crews responsible for three Mil Mi-17 helicopters. Those helicopters were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force on 3 December 2001 during the Second Intifada. Force 14 was reportedly still sending recruits abroad for training in the mid-1990s, but its later status and activities are unknown.

• 2001

  Three Mi-17 helicopters destroyed

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  The three Mil Mi-17 helicopters operated by the PNA Aviation Police were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force on 3 December 2001.

• 1993

  Aviation Police created under the Palestinian National Authority

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  After the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian National Authority established an Aviation Police unit drawing heavily on Force 14 personnel.

• 1987

  DC-8 aircraft reportedly acquired

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  Reports linked the PLO to four McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft operated from Yemen under Red Crescent colors.

• 1985

  Kamaran Island reportedly leased

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  The PLO was reported to have leased Kamaran Island from Yemen for Force 14 operations.

• 1982

  Headquarters relocates to Yemen

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  Following the PLO's expulsion from Lebanon and Syria's break with the organization, Force 14 moved its headquarters and much of its personnel to Yemen.

• 1978

  Training program expands

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  Reports described the return of dozens of trained pilots and mechanics, reflecting the expansion of Force 14's international aviation-training network.

• 1976

  Personnel assist Uganda's air force

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  Force 14 personnel were reportedly sent to assist Idi Amin's Ugandan Air Force.

• 1972

  The Force 14 designation is adopted

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  The unit was transferred to Fatah's general staff and received the name Force 14, reportedly based on a Fatah headquarters telephone extension.

• 1972

  Palestinian cadets enter Algerian fighter training

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  Approximately 15 to 18 Palestinian cadets were accepted for fighter-pilot training in Algeria, with planned service on Syrian MiG aircraft.

• 1971

  Attached to the Yarmouk brigade

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  During Fatah's military reorganization, the aviation unit was attached to the Palestinian Liberation Army's Yarmouk brigade in Syria.

• 1968

  Fatah forms an embryonic aviation unit

  [1]Force 14en.wikipedia.org

  A small Fatah aviation group began to take shape around 1968 or 1969, drawing on pilots and technicians trained in several Arab countries.

A political-military aviation arm of Fatah and the PLO, presented as an embryonic foundation for a future Palestinian air force rather than as a conventional commercial aviation company.

• Military aviation training

  Pilot training

  Force 14's central capability was the training and development of Palestinian aviation personnel. Pilots were sent to Arab, communist, and other international military aviation programs for fighter, helicopter, and transport instruction. The organization also trained and deployed mechanics and technical specialists needed to sustain aircraft operations.

• Military transport

  Air transport and logistics

  The organization was associated with cargo movement, transportation, and logistical support for the PLO. Reports also described possible PLO-operated cargo airlines and the use of transport aircraft, although the precise structure and ownership of these aviation assets are not fully documented.

• Rotary-wing aviation

  Helicopter operations

  Force 14 included helicopter pilots and reportedly used Libya as a location for helicopter training. Its personnel later formed part of the aviation capability associated with the Palestinian National Authority, including crews operating Mil Mi-17 helicopters.

1. 1Force 14en.wikipedia.org