"what happened to iranian airforce attempt 2 ?" Topic

i know israel took out ground based air-defense with drones etc . did they take out iranian fighters on the ground as well

was there any reports of iranian fighters coming up to engage israeli fighter/strike aircraft?

When your first line fighters are F-4 Phantoms, F-5s, Mig-29s, and Mirage F-1s going up against F-22s (last night), F-35s, and heavily modified F-15s you're in real trouble. Years of neglect have relegated the Iranian Air Force to basically a third world power. One report I saw said that a few fighters did get up in the past few days, but turned tail and ran once it was suspected that the IAF was coming into their area.

I had thought that at least the SAMs and defense network would at least get some shots off and maybe down an aircraft or two, but they seem to be completely uncoordinated and way out of their league.

IIRC the Israelis destroyed much of the Iranian Airforce on the ground, including their last operational F-14s.

Iran's air defenses were largely destroyed by ground attacks by saboteurs.

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Iranian aviation is quite outdated machines. And if you take into account the country's long history of sanctions, it is unlikely that most of them are in good technical condition.

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Using them in air combat is unlikely to give Iran anything now except losses. I think it will save its planes for a possible ground war.

This air war would probably not make a very interesting tabletop game…

Before the F-22s got there, before the Israeli F-35s got there, before the early Israeli drone strikes and infiltrated teams attacked aircraft on the ground, the Iranian regime happened to them. They skipped maintenance, appointed reliable people over capable people, and lied, lied, lied about wonderful new aircraft and missiles they had invented. I suspect even if they knew what was coming they could have put very few aircraft in the air.

And it *could* be a fun game with the right premise. What if the Iranians had full knowledge this was coming six months ago? Suppose they found the money to get all their aircraft working, and set up an ambush. Fake aircraft on the ground to be attacked, the real ones are in the air. A bunch of forty and fifty year old aircraft start with a positional advantage against a handful of state-of-the-art fighters. Not sure what air-to-air game would make that fun, but it could be fun.

"attempt 2" – I hear you. The last few times I started a thread I had to take more than one run at it. The browser almost makes grinding noises it is trying SO hard to do whatever it has to do…

"What if the Iranians had full knowledge this was coming six months ago?"

Why didn't they?

I don't mean to take away from the meticulous American planning & state-of-the-art technology, but the Iranians didn't do much to stop it.

Hopefully, they won't/can't retaliate in any meaningful way in the future.

Do not forget that the Iranians can probably field a few hundred suicide bombers with back pack bombs in any US city they choose. Consider a Chinese made suitcase nuke running around NYC or LA in hands of someone seeking entrance to heaven. I am afraid they could retaliate is some meaningful way in the future. Not all modern war is waged in the air.

As you would know better than I do, the US has been a target for decades & takes precautions. But it would be a blind optimist who would state the terrorist won't ever get through.

Not a pleasant thought.

Iran's air defenses were largely destroyed by ground attacks by saboteurs.

Many were also taken out by aircraft as well – SEADS. The "saboteurs" would be Free Iranians and Mossad. The IDF already have boots on the ground e.g. Mossad/IDF Spec Ops … Some of the best at what they do.

Saw footage of IDF aircrafts' gun cameras taking out former US F-14s and AH-1s … They should have been in museums.

And as I have said many times before. The GWoT is not over. There are still many islamic terrorists/jihadis, etc. around. They generally don't go back to being peaceful goatherders, running Falafel stands, growing crops, etc. They usually have to die to stop them. They are fanatics who want to die killing infidels and go to paradise. None can be trusted …

I think it will save its planes for a possible ground war.

They don't have many if any left. And they wouldn't be very effective vs the superior IDF state of the art aircraft and combat experienced pilots, anyway. Plus, the IDF will not forget 7 Oct.

This air war would probably not make a very interesting tabletop game…

Maybe a solitaire game ?

Terrorists are gonna do terror, Ralph.
It's their raison d'etre.

Yeah and Counter-terrorist forces, etc. will continue to kill them off as needed. And have been doing it for some time. It does not make it into media all the time. Or sometimes it is a matter of OPSEC, etc… The US on occasion are still killing off ISIS in Iraq, or islamic terrorists in Africa, etc.

They'll make more … we'll kill them too … Have a lot of ways to do it. And a lot of ammo and ordinance. It also seems leaders of these throwbacks to the 15th Century don't last very long. The IDF is particularly great at removing them from the board.

They keep showing up … we keep killing them … easy equation … Who cares how long it will take. Let the bodies hit the floor. Often and in large numbers …

All very good, if delivered in your usual "BANG POW" comic-book style of depicting violence.

You do leave out the death & destruction the various Terrorists occasionally inflict. Usually, it's on the innocent.

Terrorism deaths rose by 4% in 2024.
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With your great experience, do you think the percentage will fall in coming years?

So the "easy equation", as you call it, is not that easy & you do seem to minimise the efforts of the dedicated professionals in global counter-terrorism units. I would think their efforts are slightly more sophisticated than the mechanism of a fairground shooting gallery.

delivered in your usual "BANG POW" comic-book style of depicting violence.

I love comic books ! Plus I and many others have no problem with the killing off terrorists/jihadis. And yes in a violent manner … they deserve nothing better.

You do leave out the death & destruction the various Terrorists occasionally inflict. Usually, it's on the innocent.

That's a given … no need to even think otherwise.

Yes again your link reinforces what I said. We are still in the GWoT. They keep trying to kill people and the anti-terrorist forces worldwide keep killing them.

The attacks rose in 2024 according to that link. Many terrorists have been killed off. However, there are many like Iran that continued to fund terrorism. Well seems we took care of that. From my POV terrorist attacks in the US, UK, etc. have been very much reduced. We don't see that many types of those attacks here as we did with the raise of ISIS, etc. Which btw there are thousands of them in EPW camps in Iraq & Syria. Plus thousands have been killed. And at times we still remove some off the board in the Mid East and Africa.

You can't be foolish enough to think that anyone can talk to these fanatical death cults. So they can still be terrorists and we'll keep killing them off. Using various assets in both equipment and personnel.

Also during the Biden admin, they did little to stop any king of terrorism. Even supported it by giving Iran billions. Which no surprise went to fund terrorism and the quest to get deployable nukes.

as you call it, is not that easy & you do seem to minimise the efforts of the dedicated professionals in global counter-terrorism units. I would think their efforts are slightly more sophisticated than the mechanism of a fairground shooting gallery.

Minimize ? You don't know what you are talking about. The dedicated professionals as always will do their duty. Plus with our advanced hi-tech many times drones, TLAMs and airstrikes turn the terrorists into waste material … fertilizer, etc. … Remember what happened to AZK in A'stan after the Biden debacle of a withdrawal from that money pit. AZK and some of his retinues were turned into lunch meat by what the CIA calls "the flying Ginsu" … And even before that Iran's Suleimani and some of his associates were turned into Krisy Kritters by IIRC a drone …

Oh and btw we were all trained in recon and ambushes, etc. as well as making booby traps etc. We have a working knowledge of removing targets in some case whether they are terrorists or regular enemy forces.

However, at times small arms packed by some of the top Spec Operators on the planet. Are used … e.g. UBL, al-Baghdadi was about to die of lead poisoning, but he blew himself up.

Try to keep up … there is a war going on …

I revel in hearing more terrorist are getting killed off. Somewhere … somehow. They are savage scum, like a disease that must be eradicated. Which is what the anti-terrorist forces are doing almost daily. They are throwbacks from another time …

Saw footage of IDF aircrafts' gun cameras taking out former US F-14s and AH-1s … They should have been in museums.

Dating back to the Shah. Hard to get parts, hainna?

Saw footage of IDF aircrafts' gun cameras taking out former US F-14s and AH-1s … They should have been in museums.

And NOW how is Tom Cruise supposed to escape from Not-Iran in his next Top Gun movie??

Dating back to the Shah. Hard to get parts, hainna?

They can make some. Get Russia & China to assist … But regardless much of it is old tech. Long surpassed by much more modern Western equipment and better pilots …