What Equipment Do Iran and Israel Use in War and Air Defense?

After Israel's airstrike on Saturday morning, November 5, targeting Iranian radar and military sites, it announced that it had "achieved its objectives" and warned the Iranian government not to respond to these attacks. This air operation by Israel was in response to Iran's missile attacks on Israel on October 10 of this year, and it remains unclear what Iran's next move will be in a domino effect that has been unfolding in the region for over a year. This damaging and costly domino effect began on October 15, 2023, when the extremist group Hamas, which is considered terrorist by the US and the EU but is supported by the Islamic Republic, attacked Israel. However, the Tasnim news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, stated that "there is no doubt that Israel will receive a proportional response to any action." This article, based on a Reuters report, provides a brief overview of the air forces of Iran and Israel and their defensive capabilities against air attacks, as well as an assessment of how each country operates in long-range air attacks and in response to these attacks. The military operation of Israel in Iran; what happened on Saturday morning, November 5? How capable is the Iranian Air Force? The International Institute for Strategic Studies in London states that the Iranian Air Force has 37,000 personnel. However, this institute has reported that international sanctions over the decades have largely severed Iran's connection to the latest advanced military equipment. The Islamic Republic's Air Force possesses only dozens of active attack aircraft, including Russian jets and older US models purchased before the revolution. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, the Islamic Republic has 9 F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, a squadron of Russian-made Sukhoi-24 jets, and several MiG-29, F-7, and F-14 aircraft. From the statements of Iranian military officials, it can be inferred that the Islamic Republic's forces are relying on Sukhoi aircraft for air attacks. Amir Hamid Vahedi, commander of the Iranian Air Force, threatened Israel on April 29 this year, stating: "The readiness we have today regarding the Sukhoi-24 is greater than at any time." The Iranian Air Force's dependence on aircraft produced in the 1960s indicates its weakness in this area. Iran also possesses unmanned drones designed for engagement and explosion. Analysts estimate the number of Iranian drones to be in the thousands. Russia has frequently used some of these drones in its air attacks against urban facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine. Analysts also believe Iran has more than 3,500 ground-to-ground missiles, some of which can carry half-ton warheads. However, the number of missiles capable of reaching Israel may be less than this figure. Iran's defensive power is based on a combination of ground-to-air missiles, Russian defense systems, and domestic defense systems. In 2016, Iran received the S-300 system from Russia; this system includes long-range surface-to-air missiles capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously, including aircraft and ballistic missiles. Tehran also has the Bavar-373 ground-to-air missile system. This system, along with the Sayyad and Ra'ad defense systems produced in Iran, forms part of the Islamic Republic's air defense system. After Israel's attack on Saturday and the assessments announced in this regard, it remains to be seen how Iran's air defense has responded to these attacks and whether these systems can confront the Israeli Air Force or not. What the media and media activists of the Islamic Republic said about Israel's attack. How capable is Israel's air force? Israel has an advanced air force that includes multi-role fighter jets such as the F-15, F-16, and F-35, which the US has supplied to this country. These fighter jets played a significant role in downing the drones that Iran used in its attack on Israeli territory. The Islamic Republic directly attacked Israel with missiles and drones on April 25, 2024, in response to an attack attributed to Israel on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of several senior Revolutionary Guards commanders. However, the Israeli Air Force lacks long-range bombers. Nevertheless, this country has a smaller fleet of Boeing 707s that serve as refueling tankers. These tankers help Israeli fighter jets reach Iranian airspace. The Israeli Air Force demonstrated its ability to target long-range objectives when its fighter jets bombed areas near the port of Hodeidah, Yemen, this August. Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Jafari, former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, stated on November 1 this year during a speech that Israel attacked the Isfahan airbase on April 31 this year using "advanced American aircraft." On the other hand, Israel is a pioneer in drone technology and has unmanned aircraft such as the Heron (Eitan) that can fly for over 30 hours; this capability is sufficient for operations in Iran. The so-called "loitering munitions" (smart wandering weapons) known as "Delil" have an estimated range of about 250 kilometers, which does not reach the Persian Gulf area where Iran is located. However, the Air Force can reduce this distance by bringing the launch site of these munitions closer to the Iranian border. Smart loitering munitions are a type of targeted missile that shares characteristics with drones and can hover in the target area for a period before striking the target. It is widely believed that Israel has produced long-range ground-to-ground missiles, although this has not yet been confirmed or denied. Israel's defensive power is based on a multi-layered defense system developed with the help of the United States since the Gulf War in 1991. This system provides Israel with many options for intercepting Iranian drones and long-range missiles. The Arrow-3 system, which is at the top of this system, intercepts ballistic missiles in space. Its older model, Arrow-2, operates at a lower altitude. The system known as "David's Sling" is also integrated into this defense system to counter ballistic and cruise missiles. Meanwhile, the "Iron Dome" is designed to intercept rockets and short-range mortars fired by the Islamic Republic's proxy groups. This system can theoretically also be used against stronger missiles that have not been intercepted by the Arrow and David's Sling systems. The Iron Dome also determines whether a missile is on a collision course with a populated area; if not, the missile is ignored and allowed to hit its target. Israeli systems are designed to connect with similar US tracking systems in the region to provide a coalition and enhanced defense. Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, stated on Monday, October 30, before heading to Ukraine, that the advanced anti-missile system "THAAD" and about 100 soldiers to operate it have been deployed in Israel. THAAD is a crucial part of the US military's air defense and is designed to intercept and destroy short-range, medium-range, and long-range ballistic missile threats. After Iran's attack with 181 ballistic missiles on October 10, which some experts believe exposed the "vulnerability" of Israel's missile defense systems, the US government decided to deploy a THAAD system in the country.