According to flight tracking platform Flightradar24, both Jordanian and Iraqi airspaces are among those closed in the region. Flights currently airborne between Europe and the Middle East have either returned to their origins or diverted.

Airspace at 17:00 UTC, 1 Oct 2024. pic.twitter.com/md8UvGnxeQ

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 1, 2024

Lufthansa flights to Mumbai (VABB) and Hyderabad, India (VOHS), and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (OMDB), turned back to Frankfurt, Germany (EDDF). Swiss’ flight between Zurich (LSZH) and Dubai diverted to Antalya, Turkey (LTAI).

British Airways Flight 107 from London Heathrow (EGLL) to Dubai diverted to Larnaca, Cyprus (LCLK), on Tuesday evening. Multiple Emirates flights en route to the carrier’s Dubai hub were also impacted per flight tracking data.

“Following [Tuesday’s] airspace closures, Emirates has cancelled some flights and diverted others. We are closely monitoring the situation and are making all efforts to ensure minimal disruption to customers, while assisting those impacted,” an Emirates spokesperson said in a statement. “Emirates advises customers departing or arriving at Dubai International Airport to check their flight status on emirates.com for the latest information regarding their flights.”

Arrivals and departures from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (LLBG) in Israel were halted following the attack.

The news comes just hours after several European airlines—including Lufthansa and KLM—extended flight suspensions to Tel Aviv; Beirut, Lebanon (OLBA); and Tehran, Iran (OIIE), until at least the end of October.

This story is developing.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Airlines Scramble to Reroute Flights Following Iran Missile Attack appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Originally produced by General Dynamics, which has since sold its aircraft business to Lockheed Martin, the F-16 came about in the early 1970s in response to the shortcomings of the F-4 Phantom, which saw murderous attrition rates in the skies over Vietnam, and the introduction of new, more advanced Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25.

While the primary response took the form of the twin-engine F-15 Eagle, a “fourth generation” fighter billed as the ultimate air superiority fighter, a small cadre within the U.S. Air Force argued for also developing a smaller, single-engine fighter as a complement to the top-shelf (but expensive) F-15.

Known as the “Fighter Mafia,” this group, led by Korean War fighter pilot John Boyd and mathematician Thomas Christie, developed a formula called “energy-maneuverability theory” to quantify and model a fighter’s combat performance. Their theory called for an agile, lightweight fighter that could make fast changes in direction to get inside the enemy’s decision-making loop.

The project gave rise to a competition, which ultimately came down to two contenders: the General Dynamics YF-16 and the Northrop YF-17. In part because it shared the same engine with the F-15, the Air Force chose the F-16. But the YF-17 didn’t fade into history as it went on to become the Navy’s F-18 Hornet.

The F-16 that the Fighter Mafia inspired was immediately recognizable as a fighter pilot’s fighter. The bubble canopy provided unobstructed views in every direction, while the seat angled back 30 degrees to mitigate the effect of G-forces on the pilot.

The heads-up display (HUD), press-button display screens, and automated start-up checklist all simplified tasks for the pilot. The F-16 was the first fighter that was fly-by-wire. The traditional stick, mechanically connected to aircraft’s controls, was replaced with a sidestick—almost like a gaming joystick— from which gentle nudges are enough to transmit electronic instructions to the computerized flight control system.

Computerized flight control was a necessity as well as a convenience, because the F-16 was designed to be aerodynamically unstable to maximize agility. Its single Pratt & Whitney F-100 turbofan produces a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1-to-1, boosting its maneuverability even further.

The wings and belly featured 11 hard points for attaching a wide array of missiles, bombs, extra fuel tanks, and electronics pods—up to 8 tons worth—for different types of missions. Unlike the F-4 Phantom, which initially lacked any guns for close-in dogfighting, the F-16 was also armed with a 20 mm M61 Vulcan six-barrel rotary cannon on the left shoulder of the cockpit, capable of firing 100 rounds per minute.

Dubbed the “Fighting Falcon” by General Dynamics, the F-16 quickly became known to its pilots and crew as the “Viper.” Perhaps its profile reminded them of a snake ready to strike, but for many, it also called to mind the Viper starfighters in the original Battlestar Galactica TV series.

Overall, the F-16, was about a quarter the size of the F-15, about a third the weight, and initially cost $12.7 million per airplane, less than half the $28 million sticker price for an F-15—a fact that made it immediately attractive to export customers looking to buy a modern multipurpose fighter.

With General Dynamics’ production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, gearing up to deliver a large initial order for the U.S. Air Force, one of the first American allies to place an order was the Shah of Iran. But when Islamic revolutionaries overthrew the shah and took U.S. diplomats hostage, that order was placed on hold, and the airplanes were offered to Israel instead.

For the Israelis, the F-16s were a godsend, because they already had a mission in mind for them. It’s the mission we’re preparing to depart on, at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon on June 7, 1981, at Etzion Airbase—now Taba International Airport (HETB) in Egypt—in the then-Israeli-occupied Sinai peninsula.

The target—nearly 1,000 miles away—was the Osirak nuclear power plant on the southeast outskirts of Baghdad. Purchased from the French, protected by sand berms and dozens of advanced antiaircraft missiles, the huge project was nearly ready to go online and start producing plutonium for an Iraqi nuclear bomb that Israel’s leaders viewed as a mortal threat.

There were eight F-16s in the strike force, and I’m flying tail number 107. Originally, it was going to be flown by strike leader Zeev Raz, but he worried that something might be wrong with its navigation system, so he turned it over to his wingman, Amos Yadlin.

To have any chance of reaching their target and returning, the F-16s are heavily laden with extra fuel tanks mounted on each wing (compatible with ones the Israelis already used for their F-4s), as well as centerline fuel tanks they were able to urgently wheedle out of an unwitting Pentagon.

To lighten the load, they tossed out all the electronic countermeasure (EC) equipment normally used to protect against surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and carried only a single heat-seeking Sidewinder air-to-air missile on each wingtip, as well as two 1,000-pound dumb bombs, one under each wing. (I can’t depict bombs here, so their place is taken by HARM missiles).

The F-16’s range was being stretched to its very limit. As they waited on the ramp for the word to take off, each F-16 was “hot refueled”—topped off with fuel while its engine was running—a highly dangerous procedure.

The airplanes were well over their maximum takeoff weight and would take the entire length of the 13,000-foot (4,000-meter) runway to lift off. At 4 p.m., the order came, and one by one the F-16s, on full afterburner, began their excruciatingly slow roll down the runway. And the F-16 is off on its very first flight in anger…

From the Sinai, the airplanes will skirt Jordanian airspace, flying across the Saudi Arabia desert to reach Iraq. To avoid radar detection—and interception by the Jordanian, Saudi, or Iraqi air forces—we’ll fly the entire route there at just 100 feet above ground level. That means we must immediately descend from Etzion Air Base (at 2,415 feet above sea level) to the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea.

By sheer coincidence, King Hussein of Jordan happened to be out on his yacht in the Gulf and watched in shock as the eight low-flying F-16s thundered right over him. While their Israeli markings had actually been removed, he immediately guessed they were an Israeli strike bound for Osirak. Hussein called to alert his country’s air defenses and pass the word to Baghdad, but apparently the message never got through.

Within minutes, the airplanes had crossed—otherwise undetected—into Saudi Arabia, where they followed the twisting route of the waddis (dry desert ravines) through the coastal mountain range.

Practicing for the mission had posed quite a challenge, because the distance was far longer than Israel’s entire length. They had to run multiple laps from the northern border with Lebanon down to the tip of the (then-occupied) Sinai and out over the Mediterranean Sea to simulate the mission. 

While the Israeli pilots were all combat veterans, they were used to brief sorties to Israel’s threatened borders and back—rarely more than an hour in the cockpit from start to finish. In training, they found the experience of flying long distances extremely fatiguing.

The concentration required to fly at just 100 feet off the ground at 360 knots for nearly 90 minutes to Baghdad was exhausting. I’m flying so low, at times, that I’m kicking up a cloud of dust behind me.

Apparently undetected, we can send back the one-word radio transmission, “Moscow,” that will inform our superior waiting anxiously back at Etzion that we have reached roughly a quarter of the way to Baghdad.

In a few more minutes, we face a moment of truth. To reduce weight and conserve remaining fuel, we must jettison the empty auxiliary tanks under our wings. However, this has never been done before at these speeds and altitudes next to live bombs. The technicians say it should work, but there’s also a chance the tanks, once released, could topple over the wings and damage the controls or bang into and set off the bombs next to them. As it turns out, though, the jettison goes smoothly, and the wing tanks fall harmlessly into the middle of the Saudi desert. Without their weight, the F-16s speed up slightly to around 380 knots.

Mile after mile of trackless desert passes just 100 feet below. Almost 45 minutes into our flight, as we hurl ourselves closer to the Iraqi border, it’s time to transmit the one-word code, “Zebra,” which indicates we are half of the way to our target—right under the noses of Saudi radar. There are no landmarks to indicate that we’ve crossed into Iraqi airspace, except for the sun gradually moving lower in the sky. Baghdad is an hour ahead of Israel, and the strike is planned to hit right around dinnertime.

Suddenly, out of the desert, a vital mission landmark: the Bahr al-Milh (“Sea of Salt”), also known as Lake Razazza, a vast artificial body of water created in the 1970s to contain the overspill from the Euphrates River about 60 miles southwest of Baghdad. An island in the lake is supposed to serve as the initial point (IP), where the pilots will arm their bombs and begin the attack sequence. But because of fluctuating water levels, the critical island is submerged and nowhere to be seen, and this has thrown trike commander Raz, off his stride. There’s little time to absorb this as the F-16s cross the Euphrates River and enter the famed Fertile Crescent. Six F-15 fighters that have escorted the F-16 strike force now streak upward to 20,000 feet to provide air cover and electronic jamming for the bombing run. That—and their own speed—are the only real defense the F-16s will have.

The attack itself plays out in a matter of seconds.  At a designated point 4 miles northwest of the target, we punch the afterburners and pop up in a climb, taking us to roughly 8,000 feet. To avoid negative Gs, we roll inverted at the top. At this moment,  Yadlin (in our plane, 107) realizes that Raz, who was supposed to be first, has overshot the target and is starting a loop to come up and over behind him. 

Not delaying a moment, Yadlin begins his bombing run, aiming at a 30-degree dive straight toward the Osirak reactor. At roughly 3,500 feet, with his HUD’s target indicator directly on the dome of the reactor, he releases his bombs…

…and, to avoid both the ground and the (delayed-fuse) blast, punches the afterburner and pulls up immediately into a steep-turning climb to the left. While the rest of the F-16s drop their bombs in turn, we fly as fast and high as possible, straining right up to the airplane’s 9G limit.

In fact, the strike had caught the Iraqi air force and air defenses sleeping. While later waves caught some antiaircraft fire, not a single Israeli F-16 was hit. At least eight of the 16 bombs they carried scored direct hits on the Osirak reactor, completely destroying it. Ten Iraqi soldiers and one French nuclear technician were killed, mostly by misdirected ground fire. The raid had lasted a total of two minutes.

Reassembling at 30,000 feet over Baghdad, the F-16s expected to be pursued by Iraqi fighters, but not one took off. Instead, the element of surprise obliterated, they climbed to 38,000 feet for the return trip home. Flying at higher altitude in thinner air would help conserve the fuel they needed for the task. Rather than fly at 40,000 feet as planned and face a headwind, they stay at 38,000 even though that creates a visible contrail in the moister air.

Tired but elated, they made a direct beeline across Jordanian airspace, hoping they would be long gone before fighters could scramble to high altitude to intercept them. Finally, as the sun set, they crossed back into Israeli airspace and initiated their landing patterns back at Etzion Air Base. All eight F-16s returned unscathed, with barely a drop of fuel left in their tanks. The daring success of the raid stunned both Israeli’s enemies and allies and earned the F-16 its combat spurs.

The markings you may have noticed on the nose of 107 show the Osirak raid plus 6.5 later air-to-air kills against Syrian MiGs and helicopters in Lebanon. The airplane is currently displayed at the Israeli Air Force Museum in Hatzerim. For details of the mission, I highly recommend the book Raid on the Sun by Rodger Claire.

The U.S. Air Force ordered more than 2,200 F-16s, which served on the front lines of the Cold War as well as both wars with Iraq and no-fly zones over Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Libya. Most F-16s are single-seat fighters, but every order usually comes with a few two-seat variants, either for flight instruction or more complex, demanding missions. The earliest round of F-16s were designated A (single seat) and B (two seat), while later, upgraded versions of the airplane were designated C/D and E/F, each with its one-seat and two-seat variants.

Most U.S. F-16s are painted various shades of gray. This particular aircraft was given a special “desert camouflage” paint job to commemorate the first air-to-air kill by an F-16 in U.S. Air Force service during Operation Southern Watch.

After the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein used his air force to strafe and bomb uprisings against him by Kurds in the north and Shiites in the south. In response, the United Nations passed a resolution authorizing coalition aircraft to enforce a no-fly zone over both parts of the country. On December 27, 1992, an Iraqi MiG-25 crossed into the southern no-fly zone, only to find itself trapped by a group of F-16s of the 33rd Fighter Squadron led by then-Lieutenant Colonel Gary North. North fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile that took down the MiG. It was not only the first kill for an F-16 in U.S. Air Force service but the first for the new AIM-120 missile as well.

The message was sent and received. After that, Air National Guard and active-duty squadrons rotated through the region, patrolling the skies over Iraq for more than a decade until the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The role of the F-16 in the skies over Iraq complemented the F-15. While the F-15 tended to operate above 15,000 feet, focusing on air superiority, the F-16 made optimal use of its power and agility at lower altitudes to perform a variety of missions, from lower-level interdiction to bombing and strafing enemy units on the ground.

One of the most dangerous missions the F-16 performed was pairing with older F-4s as “Wild Weasels,” whose job it was to find and destroy SAM sites. In this case, they did use the AG-88 HARM missile, referred to when fired as “Magnum.” F-16 pilot Dan Hampton related his colorful experiences as a Wild Weasel over Iraq—including with the 77th Fighter Squadron “Gamblers” depicted above—in his memoir Viper Pilot.

Meanwhile, back home, since 1983 the F-16 has been the public face of the U.S. Air Force, flown by its Thunderbirds demonstration team that performs aerobatics at sports games and other major events.

In popular culture, the F-16 was also featured in the 1984 action-adventure film Iron Eagle, starring Louis Gossett Jr.. The movie fared poorly against the far more popular Top Gun than year. Interestingly, Iron Eagle was filmed in Israel using Israeli F-16s, because (unlike the Navy) the U.S. Air Force refused to sign on to the movie.

At the real Top Gun, the Navy has recruited the F-16 to play “aggressor” against its own top pilots, at its new location at NAS Fallon in Nevada. So has the U.S. Air Force at its own exercise range at Nellis AFB in Nevada. Even the U.S. Space Force now has its own squadron of aggressor F-16s.

Top Aces, a private company founded by Canadian fighter pilots, recently purchased a batch of older F-16s from Israel. From its operating base in Mesa, Arizona, the company has contracts with Canada, Germany, and Australia to provide “aggressor” training for their air forces.

Meanwhile, starting in 2003, Israel has ordered 102 of its own specially designed F-16I model, dubbed “Sufa,meaning “Storm”. All of them are two-seaters and feature a distinctive “spine” carrying a suite of electronics and equipment uniquely suited for Israeli Air Force needs.

Besides the U.S. and Israel, 24 other countries have purchased the F-16. One of the earliest to do so was Pakistan in the wake of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. During the 1980s, Pakistani F-16s shot down several Soviet aircraft intruding over the border from Afghanistan. However, in response to Pakistan’s pursuit of a nuclear bomb to rival India, starting in 1990 the U.S. imposed sanctions on Pakistan. New aircraft were impounded, and spare parts for existing airplanes were cut off, effectively grounding Pakistan’s F-16 fleet.

These sanctions were quickly tossed aside in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Pakistan now fields a total of 75 new and upgraded F-16s as its primary fighter. It has fought in both air-to-air battles with India’s mainly Russian-designed aircraft and in ground bombing operations against Taliban militants in places like the Swat Valley.

The world’s third largest user of F-16s, after the U.S. and Israel, is Turkey, which boasts a total of 245. Only the first eight of these, in fact, were made in the U.S. Along with Belgium, the Netherlands, and South Korea, Pakistan manufactures its own F-16s under license from Lockheed Martin, though they are regulated under U.S. arms export laws. Turkish F-16s have been used extensively in bombing campaigns against Kurdish rebels, as well as aerial skirmishes during the Syrian civil war. Most notably, one shot down a Russian Air Force Su-24 along the Turkish-Syrian border in 2015.

Like many countries fielding F-16s, Turkey hoped to replace it with the new F-35, placing an initial order for 30. However, the U.S. Congress, angered at Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, barred F-35 sales to Turkey. While the U.S. has offered to use Turkey’s $1.4 billion payment (already made) to upgrade its F-16s, the Turkish government has announced that it is working on its own homegrown, fifth-generation jet fighter, called the TF Kaan, to replace its F-16s as well as for export.

Greece also maintains a sizable fleet of F-16s, 135 total. Although they are both NATO allies, tensions between Greece and Turkey have led to a striking occurrence: “mock” dogfights between the two countries’ F-16s that are intense enough to lead to tragedy. In May 2006, two Greek F-16s intercepted a Turkish reconnaissance airplane along with its two F-16 escorts off the Aegean Sea island of Karpathos. A dogfight ensued in which a Greek F-16 and Turkish F-16 collided. The Turkish pilot ejected safely, but the Greek pilot was killed.

Speaking of international tensions, some of the most hotly contested sales of F-16s over the years have been to Taiwan. During a visit there, I was able to spot several of them taxiing to and from their protective concrete bunkers while arriving at Hualien Airport (RCYU) on the island’s east coast.

The Republic of China on Taiwan, which the Chinese government sees as a rebel province and many view as a vital U.S. ally, has accumulated a fleet of roughly 150 F-16s, starting in the early 1990s. Each time the U.S. sells more F-16s to Taiwan, upgrades existing ones, or sells the advanced missiles they use, it must weigh the boost to Taiwan’s defenses (to aid in a long-awaited Chinese invasion) versus the risk of upsetting relations with Beijing. In recent years, however, with U.S.-China tensions on the rise, the instinct in Washington, D.C., has been to give Taiwan more of the weapons it wants, including (in 2019) 66 new aircraft plus upgrading older A/B models to the improved F-16V.

If the F-16 I’m flying out of Hualien looks like it’s wearing shoulder pads, those are conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), which make up part of the new upgrades and add to the F-16s range without an appreciable negative effect on aerodynamic performance. Several countries have adopted the CFTs for their F-16s, but somewhat curiously, the U.S. Air Force has not. Perhaps that’s because the F-16 plays a more specialized role as part of a much larger air force, especially as it is gradually phased out in favor of the F-35.

These days, Taiwan’s F-16s are regularly scrambled to intercept Chinese incursions into the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) surrounding its airspace, an average of more than four per day in 2022. In fact, nearly 9 percent of Taiwan’s entire defense budget now goes to responding to these incursions. If any actual invasion ever happened, Taiwan’s F-16s would be at the pointy end of the spear, operating from secret and improvised airfields to contest air superiority and, ideally, strafe and bomb the Chinese landing forces until, the Taiwanese hope, U.S. forces could arrive and join them.

That day may or may not come, but with more and more U.S. allies in Europe looking to transition to F-35s, they are laying the groundwork for sending their F-16s to join the fight in Ukraine. The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have all pledged to send their surplus F-16s to Ukraine, and Ukrainian pilots have been training in Romania to fly them. So while this Ukrainian F-16 I’m flying over Kyiv might be fiction today, very soon it may be writing the latest epic chapter in the 40-plus year history of the Viper.

More than 4,600 F-16s have been produced, making it the world’s most numerous fixed-wing aircraft in military service. I hope you enjoyed learning more about its ongoing story.

If you’d like to see a version of this article with more historical photos and screenshots, you can check out my original post here.

• READ MORE: Recreating the Final Flight of the Red Baron

Note: This story was told utilizing the F-16 add-on to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 by SC Designs, along with liveries and sceneries produced by fellow users and shared on flightsim.to for free.

The post Simulating a Bombing Raid in an F-16 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Friday, the Pentagon confirmed reports that forces from the U.S. Special Operations Command are flying unarmed surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to assist in the recovery of hostages held by Hamas, of which there are thought to be around 240, including several Americans.

According to Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been flying over Gaza since Hamas’ October 7 invasion of Israel.

“In support of hostage recovery efforts, the U.S. is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner as they work on their hostage recovery efforts,” said Ryder in a statement. “These UAV flights began after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.”

According to a report by The New York Times, which first spotted the drones on publicly accessible flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the UAVs are remotely piloted MQ-9A extended range Reapers.

Amelia Smith, an open source intelligence and aviation researcher who has been tracking the MQ-9s for several days, told FLYING that by her estimate, a total of seven different aircraft are flying across the region, four of them per day. Typically, only one Reaper is in the air at any given moment. But the UAVs have loitered over Gaza at around 24,000 to 26,000 feet, sometimes for several hours at a time, Smith said.

The MQ-9 Reaper is considered the Air Force’s first “hunter-killer” UAV. It was initially designed as a highly precise and durable combat drone, with advanced sensors and cameras, robust communications, and the ability to loiter for more than 24 hours. Today, it is used primarily for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.

Two unnamed Department of Defense (DOD) officials told the Times the Reaper deployments are thought to be the first time U.S. drones have flown missions over Gaza. The officials added that one goal of the flights is to pass potential leads on hostage positions along to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Previously, Pentagon officials had announced the U.S. delivery of precision-guided munitions, Air Force fighters, and air defense capabilities—such as interceptors for Israel’s Iron Dome counter-drone systems—to the IDF. But before Friday, they made no mention of MQ-9s.

In a Tuesday press briefing, however, Ryder mentioned that the DOD is “coordinating closely with the Israelis to help secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas, including American citizens.”

Added Ryder: “[Defense Secretary Lloyd] Austin highlighted that we immediately provided U.S. military advisors to offer best practices for integrating hostage recovery into Israel’s operations.”

Christopher Maier, an assistant secretary of defense, said earlier this week that U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are on the ground in Israel to assist with hostage recovery. Officials anonymously told the Times that several dozen commandos have been dispatched and are working with the FBI, the State Department, and other U.S. government hostage recovery specialists.

A senior Pentagon official told Spencer Ackerman, who runs the militarism-focused Substack blog “Forever Wars,” that SOF are preparing for “contingencies,” which may include the retrieval of hostages from Hamas. However, the official stressed that current deployments are non-combat missions aimed at training, consulting, and planning with the IDF, not recovering hostages.

Ackerman characterized direct special operations involvement in hostage retrieval as being in the “break-glass-in-case-of-absolute-emergency category.” For now, action is limited to surveillance with the MQ-9 Reaper drones and soft support for the IDF.

Meanwhile, Israel, which this week launched a ground offensive in Gaza City, reportedly plans to send drones into Gaza’s extensive tunnel network. According to recent reports and a firsthand account from an Israeli hostage who was released, these tunnels are where Hamas holds people after they’ve been captured.

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The post Pentagon Confirms U.S. Flying Surveillance Drones Over Gaza appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed a number of troops be placed on prepare-to-deploy orders, redirected the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, and ordered the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Battery antiballistic missile defense system, as well as additional Patriot battalions.

The enhancement of the U.S. force’s posture in the Middle East comes as Israel prepares for a  ground invasion of the Gaza Strip and as American troops in Iraq and Syria have increasingly been attacked by drones and rockets.

• READ MORE: U.S. Military Banks on Deterrence

On Monday, U.S. military officials said two one-way attack drones were destroyed near U.S. and Coalition forces in southwest Syria before they hit their targets. No injuries were reported.

Iran and its allies are responsible, seeking to escalate the Israeli-Hamas war by targeting U.S. forces based in the region, a senior military official said Monday. 

“I can tell you generally that we know there is a significant threat of escalation throughout the region and that would include toward U.S. forces,” the official said.

A senior defense official, also speaking on background to reporters, agreed. “I think it’s fair to say when you see this uptick in activity and attacks by many of these groups, there’s Iranian fingerprints all over it,” the official said.

Ramping Up Forces 

In the days following Hamas’ deadly surprise October 7 attack on Israel, the U.S. has dispatched two carrier strike groups as well as Air Force F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s rapidly sent to the region to augment existing fighter squadrons. 

• READ MORE: More U.S. Fighters Deploy as Part of Carrier Battle Group Heading to Mediterranean 

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the eastern Mediterranean on October 11. On Saturday, Austin redirected the second—the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group—to the Central Command (CENTCOM) areas of responsibility (AOR).

“It will further increase our force posture and strengthen our capabilities and ability to respond to a range of contingencies,” Austin said.

U.S. fighters are also routing throughout the region, the senior military official confirmed Monday afternoon. “There’s been a relatively significant increase in the number of land-based fighter and A-10 aircraft in the CENTCOM AOR, so that has already occurred,” he said.

The CENTCOM AOR spans more than 4 million square miles, stretching from Egypt to Kazakhstan.

“Our carrier strike groups give us the ability to launch operations independently, anywhere in the world and immediately upon arrival,” the senior defense official said. “When we send them somewhere, we are deliberately sending an incredibly strong signal to our adversaries but also to our allies and partners about the depth of our support and the ability of the U.S. military to expeditiously, dynamically respond to contingencies anywhere in the world.” 

Preparing for a Ground War

On Tuesday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel Defense Forces soldiers that the country’s next phase of the war, largely believed to include a ground invasion, would soon occur.

“We are facing the next stage [of the operation]; it is on its way. You know it. You are part of it. You are part of the spearhead,” said Netanyahu, according to a Times of Israel report. “Yesterday [Monday], during our attacks in Gaza, we dealt the enemy the hardest blow he has suffered in a single day.”

Israel’s ongoing airstrike campaign in Gaza killed 704 and represented the deadliest 24-hour period yet in the conflict, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 5,791 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, Reuters reported.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) recently flew ground commanders on sorties over Gaza in attack helicopters to familiarize them ahead of a ground incursion, according to reports. IDF brigade and battalion commanders made the flights to familiarize themselves with the Gaza Strip,  a region many have never been inside, the Times of Israel reported.

The post DOD Notes ‘Significant Threat’ of Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas War appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“The increases to U.S. force posture signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or nonstate actor seeking to escalate this war,” Austin said Saturday of the deployment.

The announcement comes as Israel continued its barrage of airstrikes on Hamas militant strongholds in the Gaza Strip. At least 2,778 have been killed and 9,700 wounded in Gaza, the health ministry said Monday, according to an Associated Press report.

• READ MORE: What the Israeli Air Force Has in the Sky

In the first five days following Islamic militant group Hamas’ multifront surprise attack on Israel, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) dropped about 6,000 bombs on what it said were Hamas targets, the IAF Thursday.

That is almost more than during the 2014 war in Gaza that lasted 53 days, retired IAF brigadier general Zvi Kanor told FLYING.

“The bombing is extremely greater than it was ever,” Kanor said. “We are using all of our fighters. We are using F-16s, F-15s, F-35s, and Apaches. We are using all of them and their capability is enormous.”

Deploying to Deter Aggression

Israel’s relationship with the U.S. is “one of its most important assets,” said Kanor, who called the Carrier Strike Group deployment “a great move” in deterring Iran and Hezbollah. 

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CSG includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS Mason (DDG 87), as well as Carrier Air Wing 3, with nine aircraft squadrons, and embarked headquarters staffs, Austin said. 

The CSG deployment had been scheduled for the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, according to the Navy.

• READ MORE: Israeli Air Force Lashes Gaza in Airstrike Bombardment

The aircraft squadrons include the:

• “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105
• “Fighting Swordsmen” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32
• “Rampagers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83
• “Wildcats” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131
• “Screwtops” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123
• “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130
• “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7
• “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74
• “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40

The squadrons are in addition to those of F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft deployed to the region last week.

The Eisenhower CSG will join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group that arrived in the region last week. The Ford CSG includes the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80).  

Check out this take off!

An F/A-18E attached to the "Ragin' Bulls" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37 launches from the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier @Warship_78 in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. pic.twitter.com/5nKaajANCR

— Department of Defense (@DeptofDefense) October 15, 2023

“Our presence will undoubtedly strengthen relationships with our allies and partners, as we share the goal to deter aggression, and if required, deliver overwhelming combat power,” CSG commander Rear Admiral Marc Miguez said in a statement.

• READ MORE: U.S. Military Banks on Deterrence

Simmering Second Front

Over the weekend, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) continued to conduct airstrikes in northern Gaza, as well as on a simmering second front along the southern border of Lebanon.

Israeli defense officials announced plans to evacuate civilians from 28 communities  about a mile from the border with Lebanon following numerous rocket and missile attacks from Hezbollah militants, the Times of Israel reported Monday.

On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that fighter jets struck what it said was a Hezbollah military post in Lebanon.

“Air Force combat helicopters are now attacking military infrastructure in Lebanon,” the Israeli Air Force said Sunday. “At the same time, reports were received [from] IDF forces on the Lebanese border. The IDF forces responded by shooting.”

כלי טיס, ארטילריה וטנקים של צה"ל תקפו מוקדם יותר היום (ש') מספר תשתיות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בשטח לבנון.
התקיפה בוצעה בתגובה לשיגורים לעבר שטח מדינת ישראל מוקדם יותר היום. pic.twitter.com/HvErPHLCOG

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) October 14, 2023

Growing tensions between IDF and Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border have left the country “scrambling” to avoid getting sucked into the conflict, The Associated Press reported Monday. 

“Lebanon is in the eye of the storm, and the region as a whole is in a difficult situation,” Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement. “The Lebanese government remains critical of Israel, but fears a new war could further devastate its battered economy and put the lives of its approximately 6.5 million people at risk.”

The rapid deployment of additional U.S. forces with the carrier battle group provides the U.S. with many options to help dissuade a second front from opening, Austin told PBS News on Saturday. 

“I won’t speculate on what we will or will not do.” Austin said. “But, again, the important part is we have options. We have the combat capability to deter.”

The post More U.S. Fighters Deploy as Part of Carrier Battle Group Heading to Mediterranean appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The air campaign bombardment directed on the occupied Palestinian territory—one of the most densely populated areas in the world with a population of about 2.3 million in an area of about 141 square miles—prompted calls by humanitarian groups for a cease-fire to spare civilians.

In the days since Islamic militant group Hamas staged a multifront surprise attack, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has dropped about 6,000 bombs on what it said were Hamas targets, it confirmed Thursday.

• READ MORE: What the Israeli Air Force Has in the Sky

In a video clip posted on social media, an open-source intelligence account claimed an AH-64 Apache struck Hamas with 30 mm chain gunfire and Hellfire missiles, Newsweek reported. 

Israeli AH-64 Apache attack helicopters engage Hamas militants with 30mm chain gun fire and Hellfire missiles pic.twitter.com/mkgMAawY30

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 9, 2023

“Dozens of fighter jets and helicopters attacked a series of terrorist targets on the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip,” IAF said Thursday, adding that five neighborhoods suffered extensive and heavy damage.

Photos provided by the IAF show whole city blocks reduced to rubble, with streets carpeted by mortar chunks, downed wires, and twisted sheet metal.

“The airstrikes killed hundreds of terrorists and attacked over 3,600 targets, including command and control targets, strategic military infrastructure, weapons production sites, intelligence assets, leadership targets, naval superiority targets, and rocket system targets,” IAF said.

Said Major General Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force: “We have a list of everyone who participated in the heinous crimes. And you know the Air Force—we will reach everyone.”

Days before the past weekend’s brutal attack, however, Bar was dealing with a manpower shortage after more than 1,100 IAF reservists, including more than 400 reserve pilots who were on strike in protest to judicial reforms in Israel.

• READ MORE: Deadly Siege Marks Hamas’ Effective Use of Combat Drone Swarm

Despite the earlier strikes, the air force’s readiness is not an issue, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson told FLYING.

“We cannot elaborate on the IAF assets or the combat operations,” the spokesperson said. “As of the military readiness, it was not harmed by the reserves statements. The IAF is qualified and ready for any scenario.” 

• READ MORE: U.S. Military Banks on Deterrence

The United Nations Human Rights Office said that Israeli airstrikes across Gaza have hit large residential buildings and schools, which operate as shelters for displaced families. Strikes also hit the building housing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), an organization of aid and medical workers with a presence in the Gaza Strip since the 1950s.

“International humanitarian law is clear: The obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks,” Volker Türk, U.N. high Commissioner for human rights, said Tuesday.

The post Israeli Air Force Lashes Gaza in Airstrike Bombardment appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In response, Israel swiftly declared a state of war and fired back, sending its own barrage of drones toward the Gaza Strip. As of Tuesday, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Hamas had each sustained major casualties. But the victims were mostly civilians—more than 1,000 Israelis and 900 Palestinians had been killed as of Tuesday evening. Around 150 Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas gunmen.

A few years ago, those horrific figures may not have been as staggering. But with the emergence of technologies like drones, warring foes are now capable of inflicting staggering damage to precisely targeted locations.

The early days of the conflict have raised many questions. How did Hamas—a small terrorist cell with limited resources—manage to launch an assault on one of the wealthiest nations in the world? What do Israel’s air defense capabilities look like? And how could the tide of battle shift with the introduction of drones from foreign actors?

These are complex questions, but we did our best to provide answers.

What Are Hamas’ Drone Capabilities?

Hamas so far has deployed a variety of drones to varying degrees of success. But the terrorist group likely received outside help from Iran and others.

“The IDF naturally has far more sophisticated drones and surveillance than Hamas does,” Professor Audrey Kurth Cronin, director of Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Security and Technology, told FLYING. “But this shocking, horrible attack demonstrated that we must look more broadly in the war between Hamas and Israel.”

DroneSec, a drone adversary intelligence firm that provides counter-drone technology to governments and militaries worldwide, analyzed publicly available photo and video of the Saturday morning attacks, which Hamas refers to as “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm/Flood.”

In a report viewed by FLYING, DroneSec cited a video showing the camera view of a Hamas drone dropping munitions on an Israeli Merkava-4 tank. Later in the video, a different view appears to depict icons used by China’s DJI, the largest drone manufacturer in the world. DroneSec said the aircraft was “likely” a DJI quadcopter, which is also being deployed by Russia against Ukraine.

DroneSec also analyzed videos that showed drones hitting an ambulance, a communications tower, the Israeli border fence and its defenses (such as a machine gun turret), and IDF soldiers. But the strikes also targeted defenseless villages, killing hundreds of Israeli civilians.

Hamas reportedly used 35 Zouavi suicide drones in the invasion, and the Israeli government reported more than 2,200 incoming rockets on Saturday morning alone. That’s nearly quadruple the previous single-day record of 670 in 2021.

The terrorist group’s Zouavi drones fly long distances before exploding on impact and resemble toy airplanes…as well as drones produced by Iran and Russia, a group of current and former Western and Middle Eastern intelligence officials told the Washington Post. 

The models contain Farsi terms in their blueprints and are almost identical to those used by the Houthis, an Iran-backed terrorist group in Yemen, said Michael Eisenstadt, director of the Washington Institute’s Military and Security Studies Program.

Professor Michael J. Armstrong, associate professor of operations research at Brock University in Ontario, agreed that the fixed-wing suicide drones resembled those produced by Iran. But Armstrong told FLYING there do not appear to be enough of these models to pose “more than a nuisance” for Israel.

Hamas also sent some militants across the border on powered hang gliders, whose lightweight construction may have helped them avoid radar detection. Once in Israel, fighters attacked the Re’im military base, which housed a high concentration of drone and surveillance operators. The base was overtaken and later regained. But the attack neutralized many of Israel’s counter-drone capabilities Saturday morning.

Officials told the Washington Post that Saturday’s attack “bore hallmarks of Iranian support,” and Iran was likely heavily involved in training Hamas hang gliders. They also accused Iran of providing military training, logistics support, and tens of millions of dollars for weapons.

Officials noted Saturday’s attack was more complex than any previous Hamas air operation. They suspected it would be impossible without considerable outside help, adding that the group may have been planning the invasion as early as mid-2022 with Iran’s support.

Iranian officials denied responsibility but celebrated the attacks in statements shared to the media. On Monday, an unnamed senior defense official said the Department of Defense has “no specifics” to corroborate the report.

Per a 2020 U.S. State Department report, Iran sends about $100 million per year to Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas. The group’s leader said in an interview last year that it had received $70 million but did not specify over what timespan.

Several officials told the Post that Iran provided “technical help” to manufacture over 4,000 rockets and drones for Hamas, many of which were deployed Saturday. They said at least some militants had received training in advanced military tactics, including at camps in neighboring Lebanon, where another Iran-backed terrorist cell, Hezbollah, is based. 

Hezbollah on Sunday fired missiles and shells at an Israeli military post along the Lebanese border, a potential warning shot to deter outside involvement from the U.S. and other Israeli allies.

The Houthis may also get involved in the conflict: A spokesperson for the group on Monday told Newsweek it plans to support Hamas. The Houthis are believed to have access to a “vast arsenal of drones and missiles,” including Iranian-made loitering munitions that have been used by Russia to decimate Ukraine, Newsweek reported.

How is Israel Countering Hamas Drones?

The IDF made headlines in 2021 when it completed construction on a $1 billion barrier along the Israel-Gaza border, and security technology was Israel’s top-funded sector last year. However, the country’s physical borders and counter-drone systems were overwhelmed by hordes of enemy drones.

In addition to the barrier, Israel prevents attacks using the Iron Dome, a short-range, anti-artillery system developed by Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Each Iron Dome is designed to defend a 60-square-mile populated area, firing interceptors at projectiles that pose a threat. There are 10 spread throughout the country.

The IDF claimed the system successfully intercepted 97 percent of the targets it engaged during a summer 2022 confrontation in which the Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired rockets into Israel. The country’s military also relies on the Iron Beam, a high-energy laser interception system also developed by Rafael.

But both Iron Dome and Iron Beam have one vulnerability: drone swarms. The systems are susceptible to vast numbers of aircraft and were likely overwhelmed by the onslaught of Hamas drones, but only because the terrorist cell’s offensive was multifaceted.

According to Cronin, Israel would “easily” have won a “drone-on-drone contest.” But Hamas’ combination of attacks from the air, land, and sea was too much for its defenses to handle. She said the terrorist cell also optimized its use of drone technology to get the most out of scarce, less advanced resources, comparing it to Russia’s use of small, cheap DJI drones.

“Directly comparing the drones of each side is a bit like comparing rifles on each side,” Cronin said. “The U.S. M-16 was far superior to the AK-47, yet that did not yield a U.S. victory in the Vietnam War, for example. The role of IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan is another case. What matters here is the accessibility of the technology (even in more primitive forms), and how well it is used.”

Armstrong said it is “ironic” Israel was caught off-guard by Hamas drones, which are smaller and less sophisticated than those deployed by the IDF. On previous occasions, the military sighted and shot down simple recon drones, but “this the first one where Hamas has made effective combat use of them,” he said.

However, with Hamas’ capabilities now known, Armstrong suggested the tides of battle could shift.

“Now that the initial surprise attack is over, I think drones will be more useful for Israel than for Hamas,” he said. “Israel can use theirs for spotting targets for real-time strikes, to leverage its huge firepower advantage. Conversely, with the surprise gone, any casualties Hamas might inflict using explosives dropped by drones will be minor compared to those from its rockets.”

What Support Can the U.S. Provide?

Outside of a statement from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announcing the movement of U.S. forces, the Department of Defense has largely been tight-lipped about what its support for Israel may look like.

According to Austin, the Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) will move into the Eastern Mediterranean to conduct air and maritime operations in the region. Four Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers will also be deployed. The Air Force, meanwhile, augmented its F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

Though the U.S. is also supporting Ukrainian forces in Eastern Europe and working to deter a military buildup in China, Austin did not seem to have concern that U.S. forces might be spread thin.

“The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Austin said. “In addition, the U.S. government will be rapidly providing the IDF with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days.”

In a background briefing, an unnamed senior defense official could offer few details on the DOD’s strategy moving forward, but echoed the Defense Secretary’s comments.

“At this point in time, we have the resources, authorities, and funding to continue our support to Israel within, of course, the Memorandum of Understanding for security assistance,” the official told members of the media.

“We are able to continue our support both to Ukraine, Israel, and maintain our own global readiness,” they added.

The official pointed to a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Israel, signed in 2018, as the basis for U.S. shipments of vehicles, equipment, and munitions. Under that agreement, the U.S. in 2023 allocated $25 million toward “US-Israeli anti-drone cooperation,” per a Congressional Research Study delivered to U.S. lawmakers earlier this year.

The report also highlighted a recent defense spending bill, which modified the agreement to include “directed energy capabilities.” It raised the cap on U.S. annual contributions from $25 million to $40 million—suggesting greater U.S. support moving forward—and extended the program’s authorization through 2026.

The change would appear to echo the senior defense official’s pledge to provide “the highest level of security assistance and missile defense funding to Israel ever in the history of our bilateral relationship.”

The fear, however, is that other groups with Iranian drone technology—which has proven effective in both Israel and Ukraine—will enter the fray in support of Hamas. The official said the DOD is monitoring the Middle East for any actors that might escalate tensions, mentioning Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraq by name. The U.S.’s watchful eye on these groups suggests it could adjust its support as the conflict evolves, but Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Monday said the U.S. does not plan to put boots on the ground.

In short, Israel’s air defenses were unprepared for a barrage of small, cheap drones, and the involvement of Iran and other terrorist groups was likely underestimated. But with Hamas’ and its supporters’ capabilities now out in the open, the IDF, with the support of the U.S. and its allies, has a path to gain the upper hand.

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The post Deadly Siege Marks Hamas’ Effective Use of Combat Drone Swarm appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Rimal serves as a hub for the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, from which many attacks against Israel were launched,” IAF said in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas in the world with a population of about 2.3 million in an area of about 141 square miles.

Earlier today, dozens of IAF fighter jets struck targets in the Rimal area.

Rimal serves as a hub for the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, from which many attacks against Israel were launched. pic.twitter.com/Fil0wQZNS2

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) October 9, 2023

Fighter Fleet By the Numbers

The IAF, which was established during the country’s War of Independence in 1948, accounts for at least a third of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) manpower.

The Israeli military is ranked 18th out of 145 countries by Global Firepower. According to the website, IDF has about 173,000 military personnel.

• READ MORE: US Moves Fighters into Mediterranean in Response to Attack on Israel 

The Israeli Air Force boasts a fleet of 581 aircraft, according to the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), which ranks it No. 9 among 129 air services.                                                                                                                 

The fleet force concentration breakdown, according to WDMMA, includes:

• 251 attack aircraft
• 128 helicopters
• 10 tankers
• 23 special mission aircraft
• 15 transport aircraft 
• 154 training aircraft

IAF also said it has orders for 68 additional aircraft.

Growing F-35 Arsenal

Among the aircraft on order are 25 F-35 fighters. In July, Israel signed a $3 billion agreement with Lockheed Martin for the purchase that will eventually increase its Joint Strike Fighter fleet to 75 jets. The deal is financed through the defense aid Israel received from the U.S. 

The IAF, which was the first unit outside the U.S. to buy the fighter, gave the F-35 the name Adir, which means “Mighty One” in Hebrew.

As of January, it had received a total of 36 of the fighter jets ordered. Those aircraft are divided into three squadrons, all at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel.

“From there and without any aerial refueling, Israel’s F-35s could strike targets in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and most of Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia,” according to a U.S. Congressional Research Service report. “One open source has suggested that Israel may have extended the range of its F-35s in order to strike targets inside Iran without first requiring midair refueling.”

• READ MORE: How Combat Forged an Israeli Fighter Pilot

Also in Israel’s fleet is the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, a multirole tanker able to refuel many types of U.S. and allied aircraft. In August 2022, Israel agreed to a $927 million contract to purchase four KC-46A tankers, as well as maintenance, logistics, and training.

In a $372 million agreement, Israel also purchased the first four of 12 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters from Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Those aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2026.

Since World War II, Israel has received the largest amount of American foreign aid, largely for its defense. As of March, the U.S. has provided $158 billion in bilateral assistance and missile defense funding to the country, according to a report prepared for Congress. 

In fiscal 2023, Israel will receive $3.3 billion for military assistance and $500 million for missile defense.

The post What the Israeli Air Force Has in the Sky appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A rocket landed close to the airport Monday, according to media reports.

תיעוד: נפילת רקטה ליד נתב"ג במטח למרכז, אין נפגעים • בשדרות – נפילה בחצר בית, אין נפגעים בגוף@Doron_Kadosh @ShaniRami pic.twitter.com/1jZPaA5LQm

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) October 9, 2023

Travel disruptions are among the many latest developments for the country left reeling after a multifront surprise attack Saturday by more than 1,000 Hamas fighters that left an estimated more than 1,100 dead and thousands more wounded.

The airport has an average of 236 flight departures daily, according to FlightAware data. On Sunday, about 27 percent of flights into Israel had been canceled and about half were delayed.

About 37,000 air passengers travel to Israel daily, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.

By Monday, major carriers United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines all suspended service to Israel, The Associated Press reported Monday.

• READ MORE: US Moves Fighters into Mediterranean in Response to Attack on Israel 

Not all carriers cut service, however. Israel airline El Al ramped up flights in order to bring Israeli reservists back to the country amid its unprecedented call-up of 300,000 reserve troops, Reuters reported. The airline had not canceled any flights, and many of its flights in and out of Israel were full, an El Al spokesperson told Reuters.

‘Exercise Caution’

In a Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, published Monday, the FAA advised all air carriers and commercial air operators planning to fly into or out of Tel Aviv to “exercise caution.”

“Due to the ongoing conflict situation in the region, between Israel and Gaza-based extremist militants, operators are advised to review current security, threat information and NOTAMs,” the FAA said. “Delays are expected, [so] operators should calculate fuel accordingly.”

• READ MORE: Israel’s El Al Poised to Maintain Vital Air Link

Passengers traveling through the Tel Aviv airport were advised to be on alert to take shelter. 

“In light of the security situation in the state of Israel, Ben Gurion Airport is prepared in accordance with the orders of the Home Front Command,” airport management said in a notice to travelers. “Given the need to evacuate the terminal when there is an alarm at the airport, the following instructions must be followed: When an alarm sounds, passengers are asked to obey the instructions of security personnel in order to reach the protected areas.”

The post Carriers Scuttle Flights to Israel as FAA Tells Pilots to ‘Exercise Caution’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The move could mean as many as 20-25 U.S. F-35 and F-15 fighter jets will be sent to the region, CNN reported.

Early Saturday morning, intense fighting erupted when at least 1,000 Hamas fighters struck Israel in a highly coordinated attack by land, sea, and even paragliders, killing civilians and taking hostages. In response, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed fighter jets and attack helicopters to Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world with a population of about 2.3 million in an area of about 141 square miles. 

Sunday evening, IDF said that “dozens of fighter jets struck 150 targets in Shuja’iyya,” an area Israeli military officials said was used as a “terror nest” for the Hamas terrorist organization. IDF said that its fighters also struck targets it said were used by Hamas in multistory buildings, as well as a bank and a location used as a command center.

• READ MORE: How Combat Forged an Israeli Fighter Pilot

By Monday morning, Israeli officials said IDF fighter jets and attack helicopters, aircraft and artillery had struck more than 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist targets, CBS News reported. Airstrikes also leveled much of Beit Hanoun, a town in the northeast corner of Gaza, The Associated Press reported.

At least 1,200 deaths have been reported in Israeli and Palestinian territories. At least 74,000 residents of Gaza were displaced and sheltered in 64 United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) shelters in the Gaza Strip, the agency said, adding that numbers were likely to rise with increased shelling and airstrikes.    

U.S. Forces Move into Region

The U.S. offered a swift response Sunday, as the Pentagon announced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered U.S. forces into the eastern Mediterranean near Israel in order to strengthen both the American military posture and deterrence efforts in the region.

• READ MORE: Sikorsky Lands $2.7 Billion U.S. Navy Contract

“I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean,” Austin said. “This includes the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), as well as the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS Carney (DDG 64), and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). 

“We have also taken steps to augment U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. The U.S. maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required.”

Hamas responded to the announcement of the show of support of Israel, calling it “aggression against Palestinian people,” CNN reported.

“These movements do not frighten our people nor their resistance, which will continue to defend our people and our holy places,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem said in a statement.

Israel, which is not a member of NATO, received support from the alliance following the attack.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and all those affected. Terrorism is a fundamental threat to free societies, and Israel has the right to defend itself,” said NATO spokesman Dylan White, according to an Agence France-Presse report.

• READ MORE: Ukrainian Air Force Pilots Begin F-16 Training

Support flowed in from Ukraine, as well.

“Terror has opened far too many fronts against humanity. The war against Ukraine. The war in the Middle East. Terrible destabilizations throughout Africa,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video post on X, formerly Twitter. “Being strong under such circumstances is to confront terror. Being a large country is not enough. Being a wealthy country is not enough. It’s not enough to have ambitions. Being strong means helping to protect people and life against any form of terror. Helping—that is the way.”

The post U.S. Moves Fighters Into Mediterranean in Response to Attack on Israel appeared first on FLYING Magazine.