From a small country bullied by its neighbors, Israel has risen to become a powerful military force in the region. Since the 1960s, the Israeli Air Force has played a key role in defending the country. At the same time, it has proven to be very successful in striking critical targets at considerable range. The dominance of the Israeli air force is due to effective training, exploiting enemy weaknesses, flexible approach to design and procurement.Over the years, the Israelis have tried many different strategies to equip their air force with fighters including buying from France, the US, and even building the planes themselves. The country seems to have found a way to solve its problems with a combination of the two, with great effect.