In all, the military and the National Security Agency conducted about
120 real-time precision strikes during Operation Lead Cast, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said
the missions included the relay of information on impending rocket strikes
or Hamas targets and a military response within a minute.
The sources said the air force integrated manned fixed-wing aircraft
with
helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. They said the helicopters
and UAVs identified targets for fixed-wing combat aircraft in the area.
Until 2008, the sensor-to-shooter loop averaged about 60-90 seconds, the
sources said. They said the air force had sought to reduce this time since
the 2006 war in Lebanon when F-16s were unable to find Hizbullah rocket
squads.
Israel introduced a range of weapons and platforms during the Hamas war.
The sources said the air force employed the U.S.-origin Joint Direct Attack
Munition, Heron UAV as well as synthetic aperture radar targeting pods.
"The use of SAR allowed us to conduct air strikes at night in urban
areas," the source said.
The air force extensively employed the one-ton Mk-84 JDAM during the
Hamas war, the sources said. JDAM was introduced in the 2006 war against
Hizbullah with mixed results.
"We were just learning JDAM during the Lebanon war," the source said.
"We have become much more experienced since then."
