Baruch Hashem, during recent years, decades perhaps, the Israel Air Force has maintained unparalleled regional air superiority, enable the pilots to more or less control the skies.

As a mission to Iran becomes increasingly likely, the IAF must confront today’s realities, a long-distance mission and new advanced anti-aircraft systems that will challenge the skills of Israel’s pilots. As such, combat pilots are undergoing workshops to prepare them mentally, workshops that include scenarios that we prefer not to mention, a pilot falling into captivity chas v’sholom.

While senior air force officials continue releasing messages of calm, stating the IAF has a response to newly-deployed advanced anti-aircraft systems, the fact remains that the threats facing pilots today exceed past realities. The distance involved in reaching the objective adds a measure of danger to the mission too, officials explain.

Air force pilots have not engaged in aerial battles (dogfights) for years, and today’s concerns present a unique set of challenges even for the most seasoned of the nation’s combat pilots.

The Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead were prime examples, that terror organizations are increasing efforts to bring down an air force craft.

There is also increasing concern regarding bases, with military experts aware that missiles from Hamas in Gaza, Hizbullah in S. Lebanon or even Iran can pose a threat to air forces bases. As such, steps are underway to increase security and protection for bases, and ground crews are being trained to operate, to prepare fighter craft under combat conditions, as the area around them is being shelled by the enemy.

The first priority is the pilots and then the ground crews, and training will include varying scenarios and classroom instruction, as well as simulations.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)