Israeli jets demonstrate mid-air refueling capabilities, as war with Hezbollah, Iran looms
Israeli Air Force (IAF) jets practiced their mid-air refueling last Thursday in preparation for a possible war with Iran and its terror proxy Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces released an announcement, along with a video, showcasing the drill. This display was interpreted as a warning to Iran and its regional proxies.
The Iranian regime and Hezbollah in Lebanon have threatened to attack Israel in retaliation for the deaths of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The IAF's drill last week, "simulated a long-range flight deep in enemy territory, while conducting aerial refueling several times in short periods,” the IDF said.
The exercise took place over Israeli airspace and involved several F-35i and F-15 fighter jets, along with one of the IAF's Boeing 707 refueling planes. Despite being in operation for 40 to 50 years, Boeing 707s remain vital assets for the Israeli military. Israel is the only Western military that still uses them for offensive missions, and they are no longer made by Boeing, which, however, continues to supply Israel with crucial parts for them.
During Israel’s attack against the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah in Yemen last month, following a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian, the Boeing 707s were used for refueling IAF jets.
“The planning was completed overnight, and the next day, we received the order to proceed. To ensure our fighter jets could safely return, I ordered the removal of unnecessary equipment from the 707 to maximize space for fuel tanks,” said Lt. Col. A, who participated in the mission.
“The planning was completed overnight, and the next day, we received the order to proceed. To ensure our fighter jets could safely return, I ordered the removal of unnecessary equipment from the 707 to maximize space for fuel tanks.”
Lt. Col. A said that the airstrike on the port in Yemen was evidence that Israel could reach anywhere in the region.
“We demonstrated that we can reach and strike anywhere in the Middle East and return safely, and that’s not even the full extent of our capabilities,” he said. “We incorporated all the lessons learned from that strike, both in terms of attack and defense, to ensure we can operate under fire. We were prepared then, and we are fully prepared now. We are ready for any mission at a moment’s notice.”
Hezbollah released a video last week, showcasing an underground missile facility known as Imad 4. The video featured leader Hassan Nasrallah bragging about Hezbollah forces and how missiles were being transported on trucks.
An unnamed Hezbollah official claimed that the featured missiles have a range of about 140 km (86 miles) and can reach deep inside Israel.
Israel estimates that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles of various varieties and ranges in its possession, from mortar shells to simple rockets with ranges of 200 km (120 miles) to cruise missiles, shore-to-sea missiles and explosive-laden drones.
In addition, Hezbollah is estimated to have a small number of precision-guided missiles.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
