The Israeli Air Force has relied on its impressive fleet of fighter jets to carry out its bombardments.
Earlier this week, an Israeli-launched barrage targeted Hezbollah-linked assets in Lebanon, marking the largest eruption in violence between Israel and the Iranian-backed proxy group in months. According to The Times of Israel, Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets carried out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, reportedly taking out Hezbollah rocket launchers and other infrastructure linked to the group. Israeli officials stated that the barrage was a retaliatory measure, following at least five projectiles that were fired from within Lebanon toward the Jewish state. “We promised security to the Galilee communities – and that is exactly what will happen,” Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Saturday, referring to inhabitants of northern Israel. Since Hamas waged its October 7, 2023, massacre, cross-border attacks between the Gaza-based terror group, Israel, and Hezbollah have ensued. The IAF has relied on its fleet of fighter jets to carry out its bombardments, which are considered to be the most lethal of their kind in service across the Middle East.
The F-35I
While the American-made F-35 Lightning II is probably the most recognizable fifth-generation fighter to ever fly the skies, the Israeli Joint Strike Fighter variant may have it beat. When Israel became the first nation outside of the platform’s nine-nation codevelopment group to acquire the F-35, it also became the first to specialize the jet with its own unique modifications. Specifically, manufacturer Lockheed Martin agreed to provide a variant that would allow the IAF to incorporate homegrown technologies. Domestically-produced countermeasures and sensors are fitted into the F-35I “Adirs,” including helmet-mounted displays and other data-gathering and processing functions.
The F-15I
The F-35I Adir may give the IAF the stealth and sensors required to deter its adversaries, but when it comes to range, Israel depends on its F-15I jets. In fact, the modified version of the American-made Eagle platform plays a critical role in Israel’s readiness and ability to address threats. The “Ra’am” fighters feature a slew of cutting-edge technologies, including an Elbit display and sight helmet DASH system, the Hughes APG-70 synthetic aperture radar, and Pratt & Whitney F100-PW series afterburning turbofan engines. Armament-wise, the Ra’am is quite lethal; it’s able to carry up to 23,000 pounds of air-launched or air-dropped munitions. But where the F-15I really shines is range. The Israeli jet can fly up to 2,700 miles without needing to refuel, a huge feat for a country consistently in a shadow war with Iran.
Although the F-35I and F-15I arguably serve as the most critical pillars in the Israeli Air Force’s aerial strategy, other platforms help make up the service’s full air-based fleet. In addition to these top-tier fighters, Israeli also flies a derivative of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-4 Phantom II, the UH-60 Blackhawk, and AH-1 Cobra helicopters and other essential platforms. As the war between Israel and its hostile neighbors continues to unfold, airstrikes involving the Ra’am and Adir will persist.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Flight Video and Photo / Shutterstock.com
