TEL AVIV Ñ Israel faces intermediate- and long-range missile
threats and must revise its air strategy accordingly, a new report says.
Israel's Air Force will require a "major facelift." This will
include an increase in long-range real-time intelligence and second-strike
capability in retaliation for any weapons of mass destruction attack, according to the report for the Ariel Center for Policy Research.
Israeli warplanes must be capable of operating within a combat radius of 2,000 kilometers, Middle East Newsline reported. This would
allow rapid air strikes against Iraqi and Iranian targets in the Persian
Gulf.
The report was entitled "Non-Classified Realities Affecting Israel's Air Force Ñ 2005-2010" and was written by [Ret.] Col. Yoash Tsiddon-Chatto, a former chief
of the Israeli Air Force Planning Divsion.
"In the most probable reality of 2005-2010, which includes the reaching
of nuclear status by Iran, and maybe, Iraq and considering the trend of the
Islam-driven geopolitical situation, Israeli airpower will surely have to
reach the Red Sea southern gate at Bab El Mandeb, as well as Sudan and
Iran, and, probably, in case of a worse scenario, the ex-Soviet Muslim
republics as well as Pakistan and Algeria," the report said.
The report said Israel must limit deep-strike missions to strategic
targets such as ballistic missiles, launchers and "strategic stationary
targets that affect the conduct of war." The targets should not include
ground troop formations in Iran or Iraq.
Tsiddon also called for the development of Israel's missile defense. He
said priority must be given to Boost Phase Intercept as well as recoverable
and non-recoverable unmanned air vehicles for attack and electronic warfare
missions.
"It will have to do everything it can to develop, test, manufacture and
deploy a BPI capability to match the operational requirements as dictated by
enemy ballistic missile performance and numbers," the report said. "It will
have to rely heavily on recoverable and non-recoverable UAVs, stealthy
or not, for tasks such as defense suppression, decoys, EW in all its
aspects, intelligence gathering and strike. Israel possesses most of the
required BPI technologies, but, as far as common knowledge goes, it has not
yet an operational BPI unit."
Tsiddon lists a series of threat scenarios that includes Iranian and
Iraqi intermediate-range missiles and WMD as well as the cessation of the
U.S.-led war on terrorism. The former military planner said the suspension
of a U.S. effort against terrorism would prompt Arab war preparations
against Israel.
As a result, Tsiddon, who has testified in Congress on Middle East
strategic issues, urges Israel's air force to prepare for a strike against
Iran or Iraq as early as 2005. He said the preparations should include the
launching of a constellation of satellites.
"This implies a complete revision of present intelligence strategic as
well as tactical-real-time assets, force structure and composition,
strategic concepts, tactical doctrine, training programs, logistic
provisions, peer culture and, of course, the resulting budgets." the report
said. "With years 2005-2010 not so far away [projects much less elaborate
demand 5-10 years to accomplish], one may only hope that the required
upgrading is already well under way."
The report recommends that Israel increase the number of reconnaissance
satellites. These satellites must be capable of day and night surveillance
with a resolution of 30 centimeters. Tsiddon did not specify the number of
satellites needed, but said such a constellation must ensure that a target
area is under surveillance at least every 20 minutes.
In addition, the air force must obtain the capability to maintain an
area under permanent electronic surveillance, including signal and
communications intelligence. At the same time, Israel must ensure that its
own communications cannot be jammed or intercepted.
The air force must also increase its fleet of combat jets. The report
said Israel must be capable of averaging two deep-strike missions per day.
These warplanes must carry high precision weapons, including laser and
Global Positioning System bombs.
Electronic warfare and tanker aircraft must be available to accompany
such missions. UAVs, the report said, should be used to divert and suppress
enemy air defenses.
"C4I [Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence]
platform aircraft like AWACS, JSTAR, etc., should be selected among types
with the highest service ceiling in order to achieve a maximum line of
sight," the report said.
