| 5–11 June 1967 | The Third Arab-Israeli War, commonly known as the Six Day War, results in a spectacular Israeli victory and the occupation of much Arab territory. |
| June 1967 to September 1968 | Known to the Egyptians as ‘The Period of Defiance and Persistence’. |
| 1 July 1967 | Egyptian incursion across Suez Canal at Ras al Ush. |
| 21 October 1967 | Egyptian naval forces sink the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat killing 47. |
| 15 June 1968 | The War of Attrition begins, with sparse Egyptian artillery bombardment of the Israeli front line on the east bank of the Suez Canal. |
| September 1968 to March 1969 | Known to the Egyptians as ‘The Period of Active Defence’. |
| 30 October 1968 | Israeli commandos attack targets deep in Egypt causing Nasser to cease hostilities for a few months while fortifications around hundreds of important targets are built. Simultaneously, Israel begins construction of the Bar Lev Line. |
| March 1969 to August 1970 | Known to the Egyptians as ‘The Period of Attrition’. |
| 3 March 1969 | Nasser officially rescinds the ceasefire of June 1967. |
| 8 March 1969 | Egyptian artillery and air force begins massive bombardment of the Bar Lev Line resulting in Israeli casualties. The IDF retaliates with deep raids into Egyptian territory, causing severe damage. |
| 20 July 1969 | Almost the entire IAF attacks Egyptian positions in the northern Canal sector. The aerial offensive continues until December and degrades the Egyptian air defence system significantly. It reduces the intensity of the artillery bombardment against the Bar Lev Line but shelling with lighter weapons, particularly mortars, continues. |
| 17 October 1969 | The USA and USSR begin diplomatic talks to end the conflict. |
| 9 December 1969 | The Rogers Plan is publicized. It calls for Egyptian ‘commitment to peace’ in exchange for the Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai. Both countries reject the plan. |
| 22 January 1970 | President Nasser secretly flies to Moscow to acquire more modern weapons including a new air defence system manned by Soviet troops. |
| 15 March 1970 | The first fully operational Soviet SAM site in Egypt is completed. It is part of three air defence brigades that the USSR sends to Egypt. |
| 30 June 1970 | Following the Soviets’ direct intervention, known as Operation Kavkaz, Washington fears an escalation and redoubles efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict. |
| 7 August 1970 | A ceasefire agreement is reached, forbidding either side from changing ‘the military status quo within zones extending 50km to the east and west of the ceasefire line’. Soon after the ceasefire, Egypt begins moving SAM batteries into the zone even though the agreement explicitly forbids new military installations. By October, there are approximately 100 SAM sites in the zone. |
| 28 September 1970 | President Nasser dies of a heart attack, and his Vice President, Anwar al-Sadat takes over. Sadat agrees to end the War of Attrition and almost immediately begins planning for the next conflict which would take place three years later in October 1973: a period of ‘No War, No Peace’. |
| 6 October 1973 | Egypt and Syria attack Israel simultaneously achieving considerable initial success. Within days the Bar Lev Line has fallen. |