Posted on 02/05/2006 4:18:31 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
As scary as the idea may sound, the Israelis may not be bluffing. Their defense experts display no doubt whatsoever that Israel's Air Force can cripple Iran's nuclear program if necessary. The trick, they say, is to go after the system's weak spots. "You need to identify the bottlenecks," says a senior Israeli military source, asking not to be named for security reasons. "There are not very many. If you take them out, then you really undermine the project." Shlomo Brom, a former Israeli armed forces chief of strategic planning, says the destruction of two or three key facilities would probably suffice. He singles out the Natanz uranium-enrichment complex and the conversion plant at Esfahan as critical.
It wouldn't be as easy as it sounds. Tehran, taking obvious lessons from Israel's successful 1981 bombing of Saddam Hussein's reactor at Osirak, has done its best to shield potential targets like Natanz. "They are dispersed, underground, hardened," says the senior Israeli military source. U.S. analysts say each facility would require multiple hits before serious damage was done. Still, the Israelis—who have an undeclared nuclear arsenal of their own, and refuse international inspections or oversight—insist they have all the firepower they need: more than 100 U.S.-made BLU-109 "bunker buster" earth-penetrating bombs. "I think they could do the job," says the senior Israeli source.
Logistics is a bigger hurdle. Each separate target would require a small fleet of aircraft. Israel's F-15s and F-16s would need advance escorts of "electronic countermeasures" aircraft to jam Iran's air-defense radars, and every one of those planes would need an entourage of fighter aircraft. At short range, Tehran's newly upgraded MiG-29 interceptors are a match for just about anything in the air. "To get there and bomb the facilities, that's the easy part," says Brom.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
"Yes and sooner rather than later. The Mig 29 while an impressive aircraft. Is no match for an israeli pilot"Israeli just received the latest F-16I that has enough range to strike Iran... I wouldn't bet against it...click on the picture to read about Israel latest arsenal from Israel-weapon.com
The U.S. Navy can keep the Straits of Hormuz open. In 1988 we reflagged Kuwaiti tankers because of the Iranian Silkworm missile threat. This is no different.
The pilots would be in their early 50's at the least. I'm sure they taught younger pilots the skills, and also kept up with the latest technology just like any other teacher, in any other discipline. These guys weren't dummies screaming "Allahu Fubar".
I think the only training the Iranian pilots need is how to deploy the ejection seat.
Depends on how the IAF would do the whole show. They have managed air space with AWACs in the past. Would they be able to commit AWACs for support? What about fighter escort?
My knowledge of how they could achieve success is lacking, but they will need our help with forward staging or refueling. Most likely both. FWIW, my money is on an Israeli pilot, providing he/she is not concentrating on air to mud.
Aerial refueling is a capability Israel has.
If they do strike, it will be with some REALLY big bombs, maybe nuclear. Anything less won't work.
Thats what I thought I was pretty sure israel had the capability to strike deep inside Iran. I dont know What else israel flies other than f-15 and 16's. Do they have any long range bombers. I could have sworn they at least used to have some f-111's
Exactly how does a non-nuke EMP device work?
Did Bubba get to screwing around with the CR generator from an old TV set, a homemade collimator, and an R/C pulse circuit triggered by an SCR?
I better clam up now.
We have two kinds here on Free Republic.
1. The ZOT.
2. Beebers set on stune.
Cheers!
"Count Denmark and Norway in. Actually, After seeing this headline in Newsweek tells me the MSM is itching for another war to cover."
Itching until the USA gets involved, then the drumbeat of defeat at any cost will begin.
Yes, I remember whose side they used to be on until we sold the Shah out to the Ayatollahs. I'm sure that the US trained pilots who couldn't get out, were utilized as training officers, or faced execution.
Effn' Jimmuh...
Let the thing speak for itself.
LOL
I thought the ZOT was just a big power surge, due to the lightening frequently depicted.
Mark
You can bet every word released is planned (for isreals bennifit)
My bet is that isreal has already contacted these scientist with an offer they can not refuse. Isreal has a history of hunting down their enemies and not leaving enough to spread on toast.
Also Iran would have needed alot of outside assistance to build these facilities...my bet would be Isreal already has sabotaged these places and are just waiting to make them go boom.
I am sure we are going to see isreal pull out a trick NO ONE is expecting.
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