Amid tensions with Iran, IAF squadrons carried out exercises this week to
practice long-range missions.
Squadrons carried out midair refueling in
the course of the advanced training, testing the capabilities of fighter jets to
operate far from Israel.
“When one mentions that ‘all options are on the
table,’ it’s clear that military operations are also being talked about,” the
IDF Spokesman’s Office said on Thursday.
“The air force, which is the
IDF’s long arm, is responsible for realizing this option if necessary, and to
that end, squadrons are practicing and strengthening the full range of their
abilities, including long-range flights,” the IDF added.
The preparations
are aimed at giving the IAF the ability to carry out both pinpoint and broad,
long-range missions.
The IDF added that such training has been occurring
on a regular basis in recent years, and tests all aspects of long-distance
sorties: planning in the air force’s Operations Department, the flight itself
and the abilities of the IAF’s command and control center to manage the
missions.
An IAF source said that the challenges in this type of mission
include dealing with unfamiliar weather conditions and terrain, as well as
coping with various potential threats along the way to the
targets.
Pilots who took part in the exercise said the experience was
prolonged and demanded powers of concentration for several hours, as well as
special physical preparations that included eating the right diet and getting
enough rest.