Last April 26th, Squadron 2113 commemorated 25 years of  a Kfir first flight over Ecuadorian soil on a 19th of April. Ceremony took place at Taura Air Base and was marshaled by FAE Chief Commander, Gral. Jorge Gabela; Squadron 2113 Air Commander, Maj. Alex Padilla; Israeli Ambassador, Daniel Saban and Israeli General Consul, Johnny Czarninsky, along with other civil and military authorities. In this event, it was enhanced the squadron baptism of fire where a Kfir C-2 piloted by Maj. Mauricio Mata shot down a Peruvian A-37B during the Cenepa war with our southern neighbor. In same event recognition plaques were presented to members of the 2113 Squadron that achieved 20 years in service.

In 1977, the Ecuadorian Air Force had proposed to a ruling military dictatorship the modernization of the force as a consequence of similar status of neighbor countries and the obsolescence of their inventory, mainly composed with the venerable T-33A Shooting Star. The initial concept was to procure U.S. equipment like the F-5 Tiger II or the A-4 Skyhawk, but the U.S. State Department vetoed this possibility with an argument of non proliferation of arms in the zone that may create a military desbalance (it is worth to remember that by then Peru had already acquired their supersonic Sukhoi 22s and Mirage 5s fighter/bombers). 

The first group of pilots went to Israel on July 16th 1981 to receive their first training in a supersonic fighter. Another group of pilots went thereafter with a group of technicians. Once the first batch of pilots returned to the country, FAE Air Command created on March 10th 1982 the 2113 Squadron "Kfir", as part of 21st Air Wing based at Taura, along with the already established 2111 Sqn. (Jaguar) and 2112 Sqn. (Mirage F.1), becoming the backbone of the Ecuadorian air defense. On March 31st 1982 arrive by ocean to the port of Manta the first contingent of Kfir fighters, being assembled immediately. On April 19th took place the first flight of the Kfir, but was not until June 11th that a formal delivery to the squadron was made by then President Oswaldo Hurtado.

 FAE's Kfir C-2 had their baptism of fire in 1995 during the Cenepa war with Peru. Their most glorious moment came on February 10th when FAE-905 piloted by Maj. Mata shot down a Peruvian A-37B with a precise shot of a Shafrir heat seeking missile. Same day, two Ecuadorian Mirage F.1s shot down two Peruvian Su-22 Fitters in a dogfight that lately became the first encounter of two supersonic jets in Latin America.

 In 1996 and despite several protests from Peru, FAE acquired three new Kfir C-2s and a single TC-2 trainer as a response to Peruvian purchase of eighteen Mig-29 Fulcrums and fourteen Su-25 Frogfoots from Belarus. In 1998, Ecuador started negotiations with Israel to procure eight new Kfirs but once more the U.S. State Department vetoed the purchase on same grounds as ever.

 Today, is a great spectacle to see this powerful jets thundering in the skies wit a roar that intimidates even the most valiant. We at IPMS Guayaquil would like to congratulate every commander, pilot , technician and administrative personnel of Sqn. 2113 for this great achievement.

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