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Ot herExpor tOr der s Whi l eEur opeanpr oduct i onaccount edf or as i z eabl et ot al ofai r cr af t ,t hevas tmaj or i t y ofA/ Bmodel swer ebui l tatF or tWor t hand s uppl i edt ot heUS AF .However ,t heai r cr af t was at t r act i ng s i gni f i cant i nt er es tf r om over s easnat i onsnotpar toft he or i gi nal EPAFgr oup.T hef i r s ts uchcus t omert oor der t heai r cr af twasI r an,r at hers ur pr i s i nggi ven t he cur r entt ens i on bet ween t he I r ani an r egi me and t he US .However ,i n1976,t he S hahwasi npowerandI r anwasakeyal l y oft he Uni t ed S t at es ,and a cus t omerf or mi l i t ar yhar dwar ei ncl udi ngai r cr af ts uchas t he F 4 and F 14.An i ni t i albat ch of160 ai r cr af twer eor der ed,wi t ht hepot ent i al f or as i z eabl ef ol l ow on or der ,butt he 1978 I r ani anr evol ut i onmeantt hatt heor derwas t hr owni nt odoubt ,andt hencancel l ed. Byt hatt i me,however ,Gener alDynami cs had won s ever alot herex por tcus t omer s , i ncl udi ng I s r ael . Rat her i r oni cal l y, gi ven event soverr ecentyear s ,t he l os soft he I r ani anor dermeantt hatI s r aelr ecei vedi t s j et ss omewhats oonert han i twoul d have ot her wi s e done. T he i ni t i al I s r ael i r equi r ementwasf or75A/ Bmodelai r cr af t , t hes t ar tofal ongr el at i ons hi pbet weent he I s r ael iAi rF or ce and t he F 16;af t ert he Uni t ed S t at es ,I s r aelwas t o go on t o become t he l ar ges t oper at or of t he ai r cr af t .
F i r s tAi r t oAi rVi ct or y I s r ael hadt hedi s t i nct i onofbei ngt hef i r s tai r ar mt ous et heF 16oncombatoper at i ons . T he f i r s tai r t oai rvi ct or yt o be cr edi t ed t o an F 16wasa S yr i an Mi 8hel i copt er ,s hot down on 28 Apr i l1981 overt he Bekaa Val l ey;i nJ ul yt hes ameyear ,anI DF / AFF 16 s ucces s f ul l yengagedaS yr i anMi G21wi t h an AAM,s cor i ng t he ai r cr af t ' sf i r s tvi ct or y overan enemy f i ght er .T he I s r ael i swer e al s ot he f i r s tt o us et he ai r cr af tona s t r i ke mi s s i on, dur i ng t he not or i ous Oper at i on Oper a.