This is doable if they have a functional equivalent to the JASSM-ER which has a range of around 500ish miles.



Their primary known standoff missile is the RAMPAGE. Stated range 155 miles. My guess is they have a longer-range variant unavailable for export that they've envisioned for this type of situation.

nortex97 said:

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Over 90 percent of Iran's petroleum exports are via one island terminal in the Persian Gulf. Kharg Island could be 'sunk' pretty easily by the Israeli's, but the question is what do they really want to achieve.

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I've actually been to Kharg Island. Yes, the IDF could easily cripple the island's oil export capability. Ditto other oil production/transmission facilities. However, the Iranian response would likely be an attempt to close the Straits ... thus sucking the USN into the fray. Risking Hormuz also wouldn't sit well with the Saudis and gulf states either.

There's a long list of other juicy targets. I vote for taking major oil targets off the table.

I don't really disagree with you. The Israeli's also have not struck oil/gas infrastructure in Iraq or Iran in previous/prior conflicts, to my knowledge (in a material way). They've been going after leadership/decapitation strikes recently, and before that the Iranian nuclear program of course. I frankly have no idea what they have up their sleeves this time but expect something along those lines more than a crushing economic strike at Iranian oil/gas revenues.

benchmark said:

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nortex97 said:

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Over 90 percent of Iran's petroleum exports are via one island terminal in the Persian Gulf. Kharg Island could be 'sunk' pretty easily by the Israeli's, but the question is what do they really want to achieve.

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I've actually been to Kharg Island. Yes, the IDF could easily cripple the island's oil export capability. Ditto other oil production/transmission facilities. However, the Iranian response would likely be an attempt to close the Straits ... thus sucking the USN into the fray. Risking Hormuz also wouldn't sit well with the Saudis and gulf states either.

There's a long list of other juicy targets. I vote for taking major oil targets off the table.

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Straits of Hormuz closing should not be a big deal to Saudi Arabia. Saudi has a set of huge pipelines from the Gulf to a marine terminal in Yanbu on the Red Sea. I worked on both projects.

B-1 83 said:

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Gilligan said:

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Iran has poked the bear.

I hope Israel's response is 100 fold and sets Iran back 100 years. It will be truly amazing if they actually go for and get the Assahola Khomeanie!

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How about a different take?

Hit one, and only one target. Don't hit a major export terminal, refinery, or nuke site. Just hit a major feeder line going into a major export facility and shut it down for a while. Let the concept set in that it could have been an all out attack and there's not a $&#@#&* thing Iran could do about it even with the best preparations. Perhaps that's asking too much to pull off

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Measured responses have been a strategy of the past and if they worked, we wouldn't be where we are today. Israel is in a total war now and have to treat it like one.

If you want to give the people of Iran a chance, then I would be okay with only heavily striking infrastructure, leadership, and military targets only at first. But if the supposedly good Iranian people don't or can't overthrow the government in those conditions, then all bets are off and less discriminating attack measures should be on the table until there is nothing left resembling the Iranian government as we know it today.

AtticusMatlock said:

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Italy is part of the joint counter-terror partnership to secure the ocean against the Houthi aggression.

There's not a joint agreement to counter Iran militarily. Very doubtful Israel gets an assist.

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Except that the US is renovating Israeli airfield to accept the KC 46 tankers which the Israelis have purchased. They do have a 707 tanker conversion (not a KC 135) heavily modified for their purposes:
https://www.twz.com/air/secretive-israeli-707-tanker-remote-vision-system-revealed-in-long-range-yemen-raid

Israel has their own fleet of tankers already. I'm referring to direct assistance with this particular strike mission.

chickencoupe16 said:

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Shoefly! said:

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TH36 said:

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My comment was made because the A-10 doesn't come to mind when I think of aircraft that would be used to intercept missiles. Maybe drones? But not missiles. That's why I said it was an interesting choice of aircraft to send over there.

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I would assume Iran has tanks and other ground targets?

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Probably the most likely use of A-10s is defense of US bases in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere that Iranian backed forces may be able to attack. If the US did get involved in offensive actions, I could see A-10s involved in something like Operation Praying Mantis or in defense of Navy ships but I highly doubt we see US aircraft active over Iranian ground.

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If the Houthis keep shooting at US ships, they may get up close and personal with the A-10, if they are within it's range.

buzzardb267 said:

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chickencoupe16 said:

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Shoefly! said:

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TH36 said:

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My comment was made because the A-10 doesn't come to mind when I think of aircraft that would be used to intercept missiles. Maybe drones? But not missiles. That's why I said it was an interesting choice of aircraft to send over there.

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I would assume Iran has tanks and other ground targets?

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Probably the most likely use of A-10s is defense of US bases in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere that Iranian backed forces may be able to attack. If the US did get involved in offensive actions, I could see A-10s involved in something like Operation Praying Mantis or in defense of Navy ships but I highly doubt we see US aircraft active over Iranian ground.

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If the Houthis keep shooting at US ships, they may get up close and personal with the A-10, if they are within it's range.

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Likely an A-10 will join the list of UAV's the Houthis shot down in that case

GAC06 said:

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buzzardb267 said:

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chickencoupe16 said:

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Shoefly! said:

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TH36 said:

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My comment was made because the A-10 doesn't come to mind when I think of aircraft that would be used to intercept missiles. Maybe drones? But not missiles. That's why I said it was an interesting choice of aircraft to send over there.

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I would assume Iran has tanks and other ground targets?

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Probably the most likely use of A-10s is defense of US bases in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere that Iranian backed forces may be able to attack. If the US did get involved in offensive actions, I could see A-10s involved in something like Operation Praying Mantis or in defense of Navy ships but I highly doubt we see US aircraft active over Iranian ground.

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If the Houthis keep shooting at US ships, they may get up close and personal with the A-10, if they are within it's range.

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Likely an A-10 will join the list of UAV's the Houthis shot down in that case

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Yeah, was going to point out that if they are shooting down our drones, we aren't sending A-10s into that airspace.

Anyone know how Iran's anti missile system works?

I am - very - familiar with Israel's three tiered missile defense system, but don't know anything at all about Iran's..

fc2112 said:

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Anyone know how Iran's anti missile system works?

I am - very - familiar with Israel's three tiered missile defense system, but don't know anything at all about Iran's..

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They are much less capable than Israel.

They likely have little to no capability to shoot down a ballistic missile. Their air defenses are layered and based on copy-catted Russian and probably Chinese designs.

Back in April, Israel was able to strike an S-300 battery which was parked next to one of the nuclear sites.

Something else to consider is the skill of the operators. This is the same country that accidentally shot down one of their own airliners in 2020.

Israeli innovations are nonstop. Their converted 707-tanker uses a refueling controller from the cockpit with a sophisticated video system.
https://www.twz.com/air/secretive-israeli-707-tanker-remote-vision-system-revealed-in-long-range-yemen-raid#:~:text=Israel's%20707%20tankers%2C%20thought%20to,priority%20targets%20since%20the%201980s.

Their RAMPAGE missile system is derived from a modified ground-based tactical artillery rocket.
https://theaviationist.com/2019/04/24/lets-talk-about-the-israeli-rampage-stand-off-weapon-reportedly-used-in-combat-in-syria-for-the-first-time/

They modify F-16s, F15s and F-35s to local tech and conditions. They even took our humble M4 carbine and created a modular system called the ARAD, with a short stroke gas piston and the ability to switch from 5.56 NATO to .300 AAC Blackout.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWI_ARAD

Iran has been flying combat air patrol sorties with their...checks notes...F-4s and F-14s.

“Report that IRIAF fighter jets, including F-14 Tomcats and F-4 Phantoms are now continuously patrolling the skies to confront any possible aerial threat”.

Still using F-4’s and 14’s in 2024 lol. pic.twitter.com/3PhxZQ61wH

— 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔 🇺🇸 (@HeySlattz) October 1, 2024

Reported #Israeli naval strikes against warehouses inside the #Russian controlled Hmeimim base in Latakia, W Syria, shortly after an Iranian shipment arrived at the base. https://t.co/jc9n9QXaMd

— Qutaiba Idlbi قتيبة ادلبي (@Qidlbi) October 3, 2024

🔴We eliminated terrorist Aziz Salha, who took part in the Ramallah lynching in Oct. 2000, in the area of Deir El Balah in central Gaza.

Salha took part in the brutal lynching of Sergeant First Class (Res.) Yosef Avrahami and Corporal (Res.) Vadim Norzhich in Ramallah in 2000.… pic.twitter.com/NHWw8pF2IO

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 3, 2024

Very nice.

Israel reportedly struck a warehouse of Iranian and Syrian weapons (you can see missiles or rockets cooking off) in the town of Jableh near the main Russian base of Hmeimim in Syria. The base itself has not been touched, per Russian accounts, and the Russians apparently tried to… pic.twitter.com/kyTlaPWWnu

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) October 3, 2024

Reports of Israeli strikes of radars in Syria, plausibly involved in flight paths for a strike at Iran. I haven't figured out if true/accurate though. The IAF have 707-based tankers (think; KC-135), but it would be a real challenge to get tactical aircraft to stand off launch range of Iran without those tankers and aircraft being detected (the F-35's could pull it off but their departure as well might be noted).

Those F-14's still have a pretty powerful radar. They're no slouches, and I wouldn't write them off. They're hard for Iran to keep in the air, but they do it because it's worth it.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/swedish-intel-points-to-possible-iranian-involvement-in-attacks-on-nordic-israeli-embassies/

Iranians involved in Israeli embassy attacks in Sweden?

Israel now reaching out and striking Iranian weapons shipments in Syria before they can be delivered south to Hezbullah.

RUSSIAN AIRBASE?

It's look down shoot down but otherwise vacuum tube level tech compared to a modern phased array radar. No way they still have any aim-54s operational still, or sparrows. Just keeping the tf-35's running is amazing. Whole reason the navy gave up on tomcat 21 was man hours per flight hours.

U.S. State Department Spokesman, Matthew Miller says that the United States is working with Israel to determine the Shape, Scale, and Targets of an Israeli Air Campaign against Iran; but that they have made clear they do not believe the Iranian Nuclear Program should be Targeted.

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 3, 2024

Israeli Airstrikes within the last few minutes near Rafic Hariri International Airport in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut. pic.twitter.com/ddM5nbmEZA

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 3, 2024

Despite Iran claiming to have cause “Catastrophic Damage” to Nevatim Airbase in the Negev Desert of Southern Israel, as well as the Destruction of several F-35s; Satellite Imagery shows only Three Impacts within the Base, including one on an Unknown Aircraft Hanger which appears… pic.twitter.com/kIHXuLDr6R

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 3, 2024

Why the hell not, DoS?

nortex97 said:

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It's look down shoot down but otherwise vacuum tube level tech compared to a modern phased array radar. No way they still have any aim-54s operational still, or sparrows. Just keeping the tf-35's running is amazing. Whole reason the navy gave up on tomcat 21 was man hours per flight hours.

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Yeah...just looked at the specs and it uses an ANALOG computer...

Ag87H2O said:

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AtticusMatlock said:

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U.S. State Department Spokesman, Matthew Miller says that the United States is working with Israel to determine the Shape, Scale, and Targets of an Israeli Air Campaign against Iran; but that they have made clear they do not believe the Iranian Nuclear Program should be Targeted.

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 3, 2024

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Just when you think you can't dislike this administration more.

I hope the Israelis politely tell Biden to pound sand and then blow the Iranian nuclear facilities to dust.

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I don't particularly care if they are polite about it. And I hope they aren't coordinating too closely with the US government because if they are the target list will be in Iran's hands as soon as it is finalized. Iran needs to learn that directly attacking Israel means Israel directly attacks them in return. And in that process, they need to make it clear to Iran that no target is off the table, no target is untouchable, and that Israel's bombs and missiles work much better against Iran's air defenses than Iran's did against Israel's defenses.

MP944/CADC and the whole of the F-14 flight control/battle systems were astoundingly high tech…when I was a toddler.



Sorry if off topic all, but Iranians are ostensibly patrolling using F-14A's today, in 2024. The P-51D was also a spectacular fighter, but…it's time also has passed.

I think the last time the USA gave Iran F14s was 1976 and F4s in 1971 so it has been 50 years with probably minimal upgrades. Doesn't matter how good they are with the F35s able to shoot them down before the F14s even know they are there

P.U.T.U said:

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I think the last time the USA gave Iran F14s was 1976 and F4s in 1971 so it has been 50 years with probably minimal upgrades. Doesn't matter how good they are with the F35s able to shoot them down before the F14s even know they are there

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Yep. Those long range radars the F14s had were awesome, but without the long range AA missile to take advantage of it, you are just a cop shining a flashlight in the dark to let everybody else know where you are.