Several fighter jets were damaged last week as heavy rains flooded their hangars, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, the military acknowledged Sunday, following attempts to have the information censored, Eurasia Diary reports citing Bulgarian Military News.
The repairs were expected to cost tens of millions of shekels.
“A number of planes were damaged. They will be repaired and will return to flight in the coming days,” the military said.
Last week saw major flooding along the coast and in the Negev desert. According to the Israel Defense Forces, an undisclosed air force base in southern Israel was hit hard by the storm as nearby streams flooded, sending huge volumes of rainwater toward the covered hangars where the fighter jets were stored.
Channel 12 news reported that several mechanics needed to be rescued from the flooded hangars as well, with waters reaching more than one and a half meters (4.5 feet) in depth. The IDF would not immediate confirm that report, but said that no soldiers were injured in the flood.