Operation Nickel Grass

Operation Nickel Grass was a strategic airlift operation conducted by the United States to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the Yom Kippur War . Air Force shipped 22,325 tons of tanks , artillery , ammunition , and supplies in C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft between October 12 and November 14 , 1973 . This rapid supply mission was critical to Israel's ability to recover from early losses in the war, and the operation is sometimes called "the airlift that saved Israel."

M60 tank unloaded from a USAF C-5 Galaxy during Operation Nickel Grass Operation Nickel Grass was an overt strategic airlift and operation conducted by the United States to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War . In a series of events that took place over 32 days, the Military Airlift Command of the U.S. Air Force shipped 22,325 tons of tanks , artillery , ammunition , and supplies in C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft between October 14 and November 14, 1973. The U.S. support helped ensure that Israel survived a coordinated and surprise attack from the Soviet-backed Arab Republic of Egypt and Syrian Arab Republic . Following a U.S. pledge of support on October 19, the oil-exporting Arab states within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) held to their previously declared warnings to use oil as a "weapon" and declared a complete oil embargo on the United States, and restrictions on other countries. This, and the contemporaneous failure of major pricing and production negotiations between the exporters and the major oil companies both led to the 1973 oil crisis .

M60 tank unloaded from a USAF C-5 Galaxy during Operation Nickel Grass Operation Nickel Grass was a strategic airlift operation conducted by the United States to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War . In a series of events that took place over 32 days, the U.S. Air Force's Military Airlift Command shipped 22,325 tons of tanks , artillery , ammunition , and supplies in C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft between 14 October and 14 November 1973. The U.S. support helped ensure that Israel survived a coordinated and surprise attack from the Soviet-backed Arab Republic of Egypt and Syrian Arab Republic . Following a U.S. pledge of support on 19 October, the oil-exporting Arab states within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) held to their previously declared warnings to use oil as a "weapon" and declared a complete oil embargo on the United States, and restrictions on other countries. This, along with the contemporaneous failure of major pricing and production negotiations between the exporters and the major oil companies , led to the 1973 oil crisis . Policy makers in Washington learned lessons that decisively shaped subsequent American political and strategic policies especially regarding the Middle East. In addition the operation totally transformed US–Saudi relations.

U.S. strategic airlift operation for Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War M60 tank unloaded from a USAF C-5 Galaxy during Operation Nickel Grass Operation Nickel Grass was a strategic airlift operation conducted by the United States to deliver weapons and supplies to Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War . Over 32 days, the United States Air Force (USAF) Military Airlift Command (MAC) shipped 22,325 tons of tanks , artillery , ammunition and supplies in C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy transport aircraft between 14 October and 14 November 1973. The U.S. support helped ensure that the State of Israel survived a coordinated and surprise attack from the Soviet-backed Arab Republic of Egypt and Syrian Arab Republic . Following a U.S. pledge of support on 19 October, the oil-exporting Arab states within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) held to their previously declared warnings to use oil as a "weapon" and declared a complete oil embargo on the United States and restrictions on other countries. This, along with the contemporaneous failure of major pricing and production negotiations between the exporters and the major oil companies , led to the 1973 oil crisis . Policy makers in Washington learned lessons that decisively shaped subsequent American political and strategic policies especially regarding the Middle East. In addition the operation totally transformed U.S.– Saudi relations.

Between 14 October and 14 November of that year, the Military Airlift Command of the United States Air Force shipped approximately 22,325 tons of supplies, including tanks , artillery , and ammunition , in multiple flights of C-141 Starlifters and C-5 Galaxys . This initiative was undertaken to help improve the position of the Israeli military in the face of a large-scale joint offensive by Egypt and Syria , both of which had been receiving extensive support from the Soviet Union . On 19 October, nearly two weeks after Egypt's Operation Badr , the United States pledged to support Israel's fight against the Arab countries . Earlier, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) had reached an understanding to use the "oil weapon" to give the Arab side an advantage in the Arab–Israeli conflict . Following the outbreak of hostilities, OAPEC's members, led by Faisal of Saudi Arabia , proclaimed the implementation of a total oil embargo against the United States and other countries that had provided any form of support to Israel to defend against the Arab military offensive. This, along with the contemporaneous failure of major pricing and production negotiations between the exporters and the major oil companies , led to the 1973 oil crisis . Nevertheless, Israel continued to receive support and the war came to an end on 25 October following a ceasefire. OAPEC lifted the embargo in March 1974. The economic impact of the oil crisis influenced the future decisions of American policymakers and decisively reshaped the United States' external policies, especially in the Middle East . The American airlift to Israel and the Arab embargo of the United States greatly transformed the dynamic of the Saudi Arabia–United States relationship .