June 9

What happened on June 9 in aviation and space history.

• June 9, 1982

  Bekaa Valley air battle: Israeli F-16s in one of the largest jet-era air battles

  Milestone — During the 1982 Lebanon War, Israeli F-16s engaged Syrian aircraft over the Bekaa Valley in one of the largest air battles of the jet era, which began on 9 June and continued for two more days.

• June 9, 2016

  Danish Folketing agreement to buy 27 F-35A

  Institutional — The main parties in the Danish Folketing reached an agreement to acquire twenty-seven F-35As to replace the F-16s, endorsing the government's May recommendation. The Lightning II had beaten the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Super Hornet in an evaluation scoring strategic capability, industrial risk and life-cycle cost. Denmark had been a programme partner since 2002.