Dr. Ehud Eilam
BESA Center for Strategic Studies, Apr. 3, 2023
“Hezbollah and Hamas prepare for war but are not actively seeking to start one, at least not right now. But war could break out anyway because of miscalculations or an incident that goes out of control.”
Striking Iran’s Nuclear Sites
The biggest military threat facing Israel is Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, a goal toward which Tehran continues to make progress. If Iran gets too close to a nuclear arsenal, Israel might bomb Iran’s nuclear sites. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has been preparing for this mission for many years, but carrying it out will nevertheless be a tall order for several reasons.
First, unlike the strikes on nuclear weapons facilities in Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007, there are multiple targets in Iran. There is also the distance to the objectives to be considered, as they are more than 1,000 kilometers away. The IAF will not get new KC-46 aerial refueling tanker aircraft for a few more years, and in the interim would have to rely on very old tankers and drop tanks and possibly ground refueling in an Arab Gulf state.
Even with those elements in place, the IAF could lose planes during a strike on Iran. Aircraft might be shot down by Iranian air defense systems like the S–300. Over the past decade, the IAF has gained combat experience in confronting Syrian air defense, which receives Iranian support. The knowledge the IAF has acquired in Syria could help it prepare to fight Iran’s air defense.
… [To read the full article, click here]
