Key Points and Summary – Israel’s successful air campaign against Iran was critically enabled by key American military technology.
-The F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter served as an “airborne intelligence center,” using its advanced sensors to create a comprehensive battle picture and dominate Iranian airspace.
-However, these long-range missions, spanning some 2,000 km, would have been impossible without the Israeli Air Force’s fleet of “Re’em” aerial refueling tankers.
-These tankers, based on the 1950s-era Boeing 707 airliner, were the unsung heroes of the operation, providing the endurance needed for Israel’s fighters to strike deep inside Iran and return safely.
How U.S. Technology Made Israel’s Iran Campaign Possible
Israel’s recent military campaign in Iran was the product of more than a decade of intelligence gathering, with operatives stationed in Iran providing sensitive information about the country’s nuclear program.
The intelligence informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch military strikes in June this year finally – and while Israeli planning, intelligence, and ingenuity were among the biggest factors in its success, American military equipment also played a crucial role.
While the United States ultimately brought the conflict to an end with 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, two iconic American aircraft proved vital in Israel’s campaign in the days leading up to the deployment of American B-2 Spirit stealth bombers: Lockheed Martin’s F-35, and Boeing’s 707.
Meet the F-35I Adir Stealth Fighter: Thanks, America
During an interview with JNS, an Israeli security source opened up about the role Israel’s F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jet – a variant of the F-35 – played in Israel’s aerial campaign in Iran.
“The Adir played a key role in the campaign, mainly thanks to its ability to create a battle picture in a league above everyone else, and it is, in fact, an airborne intelligence center,” the source told JNS.
The F-35 is an advanced fighter jet that uses a suite of cutting-edge U.S.-developed sensors that make it an airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform. Using a combination of advanced radar, Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) technologies, the F-35 can detect and geolocate threats, map terrain in high resolution, and track enemy aircraft and missile launches. Its sensor fusion engine then integrates data from its sensors to create an easy-to-read picture of the combat environment for its pilots.
Meet the Old Boeing 707:
Without refueling planes, however, Israel would have struggled to deploy these American jets over such a long distance, and for such a long period of time. Over 12 days, the Israeli Air Force conducted more than 700 refueling sorties to achieve dominance over Iranian skies, some 2,000 km from Israel, using its “Re’em” refueling planes.
The planes, which have been in service for more than half a century, are based on the Boeing 707 platform – an early American long-range airliner first manufactured in 1956.
Senior Master Sergeant R., a maintenance specialist from Squadron 120, described the Boeing aircraft as “built exactly for this mission.”
“There are so many dials in the cockpit, and the entire aircraft is mechanical – cables and levers just like they were 60 years ago,” he added. “Only the electronics and computing systems have been upgraded.”
With no digital or touch screens, Israel’s Re’em refueling planes are among the oldest pieces of hardware still in use by its military – but that doesn’t make them any less useful – as their campaign in Iran proved.
Israel’s campaign in Iran was a triumph of meticulous planning and strategic partnerships, and while it was Israeli intelligence that drove the mission, U.S.-made systems helped turn the plans into action.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
The Best Tanks on Earth
AbramsX: The Tank the US Army Wants
