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From the Liveblog of
Saturday, July 19, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Giora Even Epstein, Israel’s most decorated fighter pilot and world’s top supersonic jet ace, dies aged 87
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
Brig. Gen. (res.) Giora Even Epstein (IDF)
Brig. Gen. (res.) Giora Even Epstein, the Israeli Air Force’s most decorated fighter pilot and the world’s top supersonic jet ace, dies at age 87.
Nicknamed “Hawkeye,” Even Epstein was credited with 17 aerial shoot downs —- 16 Egyptian fighter jets and one Egyptian helicopter -— making him a global aviation legend.
With an unmatched combat record, he served in the Israel Air Force from 1961 until 1997 and later flew for El Al.
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