Due to “blind” radar, the Iranian air force seemed unable to react to the attack of hundreds of Israeli fighter jets.
Hundreds of Iranian fighter jets grounded?
Sputnik reported that in the early morning of October 26, within just a few hours, the Israeli Air Force massively attacked dozens of missile factories, research and development centers, drone production facilities, power plants and missile launch bases of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Reuters confirmed that a series of explosions occurred continuously in the capital of Iran. An explosion also occurred in Karaj, near Tehran. In Iraq, Syria and in the skies over Jordan, Israeli warplanes are flying in waves across “half the Middle East”, striking targets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it carried out precision strikes, destroying Tehran’s military targets, in response to a large-scale missile attack that Iran carried out against Israel in early October.
According to China Central Television (CCTV), dozens of strategic targets in Iran were attacked by airstrikes. The Israeli Air Force was mobilized on a large scale, with at least dozens of fighter jets and tankers, conducting military operations over the territories of Syria, Iraq and Iran, all of which belong to the “axis of resistance” led by Tehran.
Over the thousands of kilometers of territory from Syria to Iran, both countries deployed hundreds of radar systems but detected nothing.
From beginning to end, there is no data showing that the Iranian air force took off to intercept Israeli fighter jets. Are their hundreds of fighter jets just for show and completely incapable of intercepting and protecting important targets?
The Iranian Air Force is quite large with more than 50,000 soldiers but is equipped with old fighter aircraft of about 400 models, from the US-made F-14 Tomcat, F-4 Phantom, F-5 Tiger and Soviet-era MiG-29 to J-7 fighters. There is even a Lightning light fighter (a copy of the F-5 Tiger) produced by Iran.
Therefore, it is understandable that this entire force has almost no response and interception. Even if Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter jets can carry out air strikes, it is really a difficult task for the Iranian air force to take off to intercept Israel’s F-35 stealth fighters and F-15I fighters.
However, Iran can still compete with the US military in terms of missile force, as Tehran possesses powerful tactical ballistic attack capabilities. If Iran launched 1,000 medium-range ballistic missiles at the same time, Israel’s famous air defense force would be stunned.
It is clear that the Iranian air force is no longer fit for modern warfare. When enemy fighters come, they have no choice but to hide in hangars. Israel does not even need to attack Iranian air bases, because there is absolutely no need to “waste” bombs on them.
Experts say the recent Tel Aviv attack was just a “big thunder but little rain”, and the next move will depend on how Tehran responds. Iran is believed to have 1,000 medium-range ballistic missiles in underground missile bases, but whether they dare to go all out in a “thunderous and lightning” attack is another story.
Israel relies heavily on the F-35
If the F-35 stealth fighter is not really useful in the war with Hamas and Hezbollah, because they are both guerrilla groups, they are effective in confronting regular forces like Iran with a large number of high-value targets.
Israel is pursuing a “hunt down and destroy” strategy against its opponents without mercy, relying on military and technological advantages from the US or developed by the Israelis themselves. The retaliation that Iran received this time also shows that Tehran’s conventional military power is still quite backward.
Apart from its missile force – which includes ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic weapons – Iran’s other military forces are weak. The main weapons in the navy, air force, and army were largely produced in the 1970s and 1980s.
This is why Iranian radars could not detect the intruding Israeli aircraft and no Iranian fighter jets were scrambled to intercept them. In terms of air combat, in the Middle East, it is difficult for anyone to truly defeat the Israeli Air Force.
Therefore, as analysts have repeatedly said, at this stage, Iran will not launch a full-scale war against Israel because of fears of air strikes by its opponent. Instead, Tehran only wants to fight “slowly”, through a proxy war of the “axis of resistance” and continue to send missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen and Shia militias in Iraq.
Iran is ready to fight even if it cannot defeat Israel, but they will implement a strategy of “slowly strangling” the opponent. The question is how Tehran can do that when Israel is “strangling” Iran’s allies throughout the Middle East.
However, Israel will also continue to be attacked by missiles and rockets from Iran, Hezbollah, Houthis and Iraqi Shiite militias whenever these groups get the chance.
In short, although the Israeli air force can strike Iran with tactical precision, it is unlikely to completely defeat all of the “axis of resistance” led by Iran.
