Message to Iran? IDF holds flight drill ahead of Iran talks
IDF holds flight exercise ahead of Iran talks – Israel News, Ynetnews.
IAF holds drill to examine abilities to reach remote destinations. ‘When we say all options are on the table, we’re talking about military options as well,’ IDF website says, noting drill was to prepare troops to any possible threat
Yoav Zitun
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The Air Force had a widespread drill this week utilizing several squadrons, in order to test the force’s ability to reach remote destination during lengthy flights.
In one of the highlights of the drill, where the Air Force cooperated with a foreign army, fighter jets were fueled midair.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held several interviews with European media outlets, warning against Iranian fraud in the nuclear talks with the West, which are to be held next week in Geneva.
The IDF website defined the mid-air fueling as “testing the abilities to fly long distances. When we say, ‘all options are on the table’, we’re talking about military options as well. The Air Force, the longest reaching arm of the IDF, is responsible for realizing that option if it is so required. In the force, we’re enforcing a range of abilities, including long-term flights. In this field the Air Force is required to develop all relevant ability, from a pinpointed activity to a wide-range action.”
Almost all of the F-15 and F-16 squadrons of the IAF participated in the drill, and training similar to it is held several times a year.
The IDF said the training, which is expected to go on until next week, is no different from drills that took place in recent years, practicing operational planning, flight, fueling and radio control.
The commander of one of the squadrons thatho took part in the drill said: “Challenges in a flight like this start in the planning phase, and continue in the flight itself which is far from home, in unfamiliar weather and terrain conditions, as well as all possible threats.”
The Air Force stressed that “The training sharpened the ability and connected the whole of the components and squadrons to the unique and complex training. In the personal aspect pilots talk about a lengthy flight requiring special physical training and preparations.”
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WarSclerotic 
October 10, 2013 at 10:03 PM
The latest ”disclosures” regarding the IAF training procedures are making us thinking that they are use also as a tool for pressing the international powers to reconsider their positions regarding the sanctions; we also understood – and not from now, but for at least an year ago – that Israel solved the distance flying problem for its jets. If anybody here is still remembering, there were a couple of scenarios designed by English and American military experts, scenarios in which the IAF is operating with tens of jets above Iran, while the loses were staggering. All those speculations were proved, finally, as (bad) science fiction. Israel is not going to open the hostilities – if any – with an IAF first strike; the opening move will be – as we said previously – a Jericho II and III missile salvo with the same targets as the IAF should have. The nuclear facilities above the ground will be relatively easy prey for the advanced Israeli Jericho missiles, as will be the command centers of the Iranian army and guards. The anti air systems will be taken down in this first salvo, too. The Iranian army missiles depots, the Iranian navy and the electrical grid will be targeted by adequate assets. The Israeli drones armada will enter also in the scene for ”cleaning” missions, documentation and report. Only after the Iranian skies will be clean and its armed forces blinded, will enter the IAF on action, for the finishing decisive move. We wrote in the past about this Israeli military option and we are reminding it again, for our readers here to know that if Israel wants, Israel can succeed.
October 10, 2013 at 10:41 PM
Yes, the distance problem is definitely solved.
Ironically Mr. Hope and Change helped to create even more options for IAF, if you get my drift.
October 11, 2013 at 3:29 PM
The Saudis? Its sounds good, but I have a feeling that the IAF will never operate from there. May be, just may be, some landings in a distant desert…yes, that sounds more realistic.
October 11, 2013 at 4:00 PM
I’m sure the IAF has other options but it doesn’t hurt to have a friendly air space you can use as an extra option.
October 11, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Pay attention to my formulation: I said ”from there”, meaning starting the operation or part of it from Saudi soil. That wont happen, the extremist sunnis wont aloud that to happen in Saudi Arabia. However, certain landings on the way back home through Saudis path points, that is possible, far, far away, in a desert in our region – and the same galaxy.
October 11, 2013 at 6:39 PM
FROM THERE is not going to happen. I know but that’s not what I meant. I meant that it’s nice to refuel over friendly air space. Makes life easier.
October 11, 2013 at 7:45 PM
Of course. No doubt about that. But serious rumors before a couple of years – or so – told about secret, new air bases being build in the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia and only God knows what their purpose might be or even if they are for real. Anyhow, its only me or is because the Israeli News Friday evening show that I start to be a little worried, to say the truth. Too many nice people, too many Iranian gestures(!), too many Obama. I don’t know. I really feel that Israel is alone. In fact, it always has been and we knew that. But when you are told this right in your face, its not easy. Lets hope that ”tomorrow will be another day”, hehe… .
October 11, 2013 at 11:36 PM
Being alone can give you advantages. It’s not all that bad.
October 11, 2013 at 8:26 PM
To little to late gentlemen,I’m afraid Debka has it right!
“However, the truth which every Middle East and Western leaders knows by now, is that the battle against a nuclear Iran is lost.
President Obama has wound up his secret negotiations with Iran and instructed US delegates to put on the table of the Geneva negotiations on Oct. 15 the understandings or deals he has reached with Iranian leaders.
Those understandings are about to be endorsed by the P5+1 (the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany) for implementation in stages. They will leave Iran with the capacity, reduced but intact, to continue to enrich uranium along with its ability to use clandestine sites to house the nuclear weapons they are able to produce.
Netanyahu may keep on calling this a bad deal. But after all, it took shape on his watch as prime minister. And after Barack Obama became president in 2009, Israel failed to stall Iran’s race for a nuclear bomb – not in Parchin, Arak and Fordo – but in the White House.
The prime minister staged the long-distance air force drill more for domestic consumption than for use as a deterrent to impress Tehran. The Iranians have succeeded far too well in their diplomatic maneuvers to take much notice. They are sure the Netanyahu government will tire of its campaign, end up aligning once again with the Obama administration and swallow its deals with President Vladimir Putin on Iran, just as it did for Syria’s chemical weapons.” DEBKA.
October 11, 2013 at 10:14 PM
Good old “It’s all over, there’s no hope” John Prophet.
Fuck it, then…. Let’s just cash in our chips and quit, right?
You do that, John. We’ll keep fighting. Can’t think of anything better to do….
October 11, 2013 at 10:24 PM
Debka’s words, I just happen to agree at this point. As I’ve said ad nauseum on this site, the time to act was long ago.You are of course free to disagree.
“Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.”
― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote
October 11, 2013 at 10:42 PM
First of all, lets salute the all good ol’ guys returning here for a good debate fighting and I’ll want to excuse myself for repeating something that I’ll already wrote, but somehow got lost somewhere here…it doesn’t matter now, really. What I wanted to emphasize is that a site like this is good to be back because its scope and meaning its beyond the initial scope Joseph Wouk has draw for it, meaning the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Joseph Wouk site is also about the people, their thoughts, conceptions and visions.
You see, even that Iran – Israel conflict would end tomorrow, I don’t see this site following the same fate and that is a really g o o d
thing. Thank you from the heart, Joseph. And keep a good health, too. Luis.