October 28, 2024
It has been 24 hours since the Israeli Air Force launched a military strike on Iranian soil, and details of the attack are gradually becoming clearer.First, the Israeli Air Force released some videos and photos of the air strikes on Iran. These show that the Israeli Air Force deployed F-15D’s from the 133rd Squadron, F-16I’s from the 253rd Squadron, and undoubtedly F-35I’s from a squadron based at Nevatim Air Base.Even if the total number of aircraft involved wasn’t over 100, including fighters and support forces, there were certainly 40 to 50 aircraft. As the Israeli military itself boasted, this was indeed an unprecedentedair campaign.
The weapons used by the Israeli military, judging from the strike configurations of the participating aircraft and the attack routes, are quite interesting. The Israeli military itself has published photos and videos of some F-15I/D and F-16I/D fighters preparing for the strike.From the photos released by the Israeli military, the participating F-15D fighters were carrying three auxiliary fuel tanks, one Python-4/5 close-range combat missile under each wing, one AIM-7M Sparrow air-to-air missile, two AIM-120Cair-to-air missiles, and one forward-looking infrared pod under the fuselage. This is a typical air superiority loadout, likely for escort duty. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about this, as the F-15I/D fighters can maintain a combat radius of over 1,000kilometers while performing this task.
However, the participating F-16I/D fighters are shrouded in mystery. Whether in the photos or videos taken by the Israeli military, only the wings and the three auxiliary fuel tanks under the fuselage are visible, deliberately obscuring the load under the wings. Since this isbeing hidden, there must be a reason. Considering that the F-15I/D fighters were tasked with escort duty and no opposing aircraft were observed, and given that the Israeli Air Force typically uses the F-16I/D as a strike aircraft, integrating a large number of strike capabilities, we believe that theF-16I fighters were the main force behind the missile strikes on Iranian soil in the early hours of October 26th.
So, what were the actual strike weapons used by the Israeli Air Force? There are clues. Yesterday, in northern Iraq, more debris from air-launched ballistic missiles was found. As we know, the most famous air-launched ballistic missiles in the Israeli military’s arsenal are the Sparrow series. Originally developed as target drones for the Israeli military, the Sparrow series can simulate various types of ballistic missiles, from the Scud to the Iranian 流星-3 (Meteor-3), to provide training targets for the Arrow-2/3 interceptor missiles. However, the Israeli military has also used them for actual strikes.
Further Research Needed
This incident raises numerous questions that require further investigation. Were the Rock missiles used in the strike? What were the specific targets and the extent of the damage? What are the potential consequences of this escalation for regional security?
It is crucial to rely on credible sources and conduct thorough research to understand the complex situation and its implications. This event highlights the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the potential for furtherconflict. It is essential to remain informed and critically evaluate the information available to form an informed opinion.
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