Posted on 02/27/2012 2:28:08 PM PST by mandaladon
For all the myriad challenges facing Israel over the past decade it is the potential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran that has preoccupied the country's military planners.
It is this that in large part has guided the development of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) over recent years.
The IAF has purchased 125 advanced F-15I and F-16I warplanes, equipped with Israeli avionics and additional fuel tanks - tailor-made for long-range strike missions.
In addition, Israel has bought specialised bunker-busting munitions; developed large, long-endurance, unmanned aircraft; and much of its training has focused on long-range missions.
Israel has a track-record of pre-emptive strikes against nuclear targets in the region. the region. How to get there?
For a start it is a very long way from Israel to Iran. As a rough estimate many of the potential targets are some 1,500km (930 miles) to 1,800km (1,120 miles) from Israeli bases. Israeli warplanes have to get to Iran and, equally important, get back.
At least three routes are possible.
There is the northern one where Israeli jets would fly north and then east along the borders between Turkey and Syria, and then Turkey and Iraq The central, more likely route would take Israeli warplanes over Iraq. With the US military gone, the Iraqi authorities are far less able to monitor and control their air space, effectively opening a door to an Israeli incursion The third, southern route would take Israeli jets over Saudi air space. Would the Saudis turn a blind eye to such a move given their own concerns about Iran's nuclear programme? Could this route be used by Israeli aircraft on the return leg of their journey? We just do not know
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Hussein’s response will be directly linked to how the Saudi Royalty feels.
Alex, I’ll take route 3 for all the money\!\!\! ASAP too, please Alex.
Nope- turn the map 90 degrees clockwise -
Theyre gonna hit`em from the north from Azerbaijan
goin` in low and fast over the Caspian Sea-
Israel Inks $1.6 Billion Arms Deal With Azerbaijan
February 27, 2012
Associated Press|by Amy Teibel
JERUSALEM - Israeli defense officials on Sunday confirmed $1.6 billion in deals to sell drones as well as anti-aircraft and missile defense systems to Azerbaijan, bringing sophisticated Israeli technology to the doorstep of archenemy Iran.
http://www.military.com/news/article/israel-inks-16-billion-arms-deal-with-azerbaijan.html
Great post, you win the cigar. Route #4, Black Sea refueling, Azeri overflight.
Did anyone notice the recent Israeli-Cyprus agreement on airspace and landing privileges? Israelis are great at tiptoeing around.
Israel can capably get tankers airborne over the Black Sea.
More likely they will have all aircraft airborne in many directions to draw attention away from the mission aircraft.
That is, in mathematical terms, if and only if Iran does something dumb like a chemical warhead strike on Israel.
NO cheers, unfortunately.
Good point on the boomers, but I don’t think they’ll go nuke but use conventional explosives.
Israel won’t strike until Syria is resolved and then will use multiple platforms like subs and aircraft, cruise missiles, etc.
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