Aging refueling jet fleet helped Israel secure air supremacy over Iran

The Israel Air Force (IAF) maintained dominance over Iranian skies during Operation Rising Lion, Israel’s recent campaign targeting Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. Covering a distance of 2,000 kilometers (over 1,200 miles) and conducting an estimated 700 refueling sorties, Israel’s aging fleet of refueling jets proved vital to the 12-day operation’s success. Israeli fighter jets operating deep in hostile territory depended on IAF Squadron 120 and its reliable, though aging, “Re’em” 707 tanker aircraft for critical midair refueling.

“These aircraft were built for exactly this mission,” assessed Senior Master Sgt. R., a maintenance specialist in Squadron 120, also known as the “Desert Giants.”

“There are so many dials in the cockpit, and the entire aircraft is mechanical – cables and levers just like they were 60 years ago,” R. explained. “Only the electronics and computing systems have been upgraded.”

Senior Master Sgt. M. agreed, noting that the squadron was specifically designed for the aerial offensive against Iran.

“There is no other air force squadron whose entire wartime role is this mission alone,” M. said. “We’ve trained using models and operational simulations for over a year. Our teams know every bolt in this aircraft. As old as they are, they’re ready for more years of missions like this.”

The old refueling tanker jets allowed Israeli fighter jets to operate 24/7 in enemy airspace across a considerable geographic distance. However, the refueling jets – highly visible on radar – required constant protection. Securing a safe air corridor and shielding them from enemy fire was essential to the mission’s success.

Second Lt. H., a young navigator leading the squadron’s navigation section, described her role in the large-scale aerial campaign against Iran.

“I entered the role in the middle of operational preparations. Together with my team, we select the most efficient and safest refueling routes and prepare the mission materials for our pilots,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders previously warned that Iran’s nuclear ambitions and missile capabilities constitute a serious threat to Israel’s existence. Expanding Israel’s refueling capabilities, therefore, was critical.

“It’s extremely complex to hit the exact point between two planes at the exact second. You get five seconds of contact,” explained Maj. (res.) A., a veteran pilot from the refueling squadron. “Everyone here knew this was our purpose. That’s why this squadron exists. I’ve been here 15 years, all of them preparing for this moment.”

He compared Israel’s surprise strike on Iran to Operation Focus, the IAF's surprise attack on Egyptian airfields at the outset of the Six-Day War in 1967.

“This is our generation’s Operation Focus. The results are historic,” he said.

Looking ahead, one unnamed IAF officer predicted that Israel’s offensive capabilities would be further boosted with the arrival of new American-made tankers.

“One can only imagine what this operation would have looked like with the new KC-46 tankers – called ‘Gideon’ –due to arrive next year from the U.S.,” the officer stated.

“Add to that the new F-15I jets already ordered, the expanding fleet of F-35s, and the ‘Pra’ Super-Yasur helicopter – considered the best in the world – and the potential is incredible.”

On Thursday, IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin characterized the military offensive against Iran as “the most complex operation in IDF history.”

“Two weeks ago, on the night leading into Friday, the State of Israel launched Operation ‘Rising Lion’ to remove the existential threat from Iran to the State of Israel,” Defrin said during a press briefing.