When people think about the Israel Defense Forces, their thoughts often go first to the soldiers on the ground. They see young men and women entering Gaza, operating in Judea and Samaria, guarding communities along the borders, searching tunnels, rescuing civilians, and confronting terrorists face to face. These soldiers deserve every bit of admiration they receive.

But high above them is another force that has repeatedly changed the course of Israeli history: the Israeli Air Force, the IAF.

The IAF does not always receive the same emotional connection as Israel’s ground forces. Perhaps that is understandable. Ground soldiers are visible. We see their faces. We see them carrying enormous backpacks, sleeping beside their vehicles, entering destroyed buildings and embracing their families when they finally return home.

The Air Force can seem more distant. We see an aircraft disappearing into the sky and sometimes, hours later, hear that a mission has been successfully completed hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away.

Yet behind that aircraft stands an extraordinary organization consisting not only of pilots, but intelligence specialists, technicians, air traffic controllers, weapons specialists, rescue personnel, drone operators, engineers and countless others. Their work has become one of the foundations of Israel’s ability to survive in one of the most dangerous regions in the world.

When Distance Cannot Protect Israel’s Enemies

One of the defining characteristics of the IAF is its ability to reach threats far beyond Israel’s borders.

Israel is geographically tiny. Its enemies, however, have never necessarily been located next door.

In 1981, Israeli F-16s flew approximately 1,000 kilometers to Iraq during Operation Opera, destroying the Osirak nuclear reactor near Baghdad. The operation was enormously controversial internationally. Israel was condemned, but the fundamental Israeli calculation was unmistakable: a country that had experienced the Holocaust would not simply wait and hope that a hostile regime would never use a potentially existential capability against it.

In 2007, during Operation Outside the Box, Israeli aircraft destroyed a nuclear reactor under construction in Syria. Israel publicly acknowledged responsibility years later. Once again, the message was clear. Israel might be small, but geographical distance would not automatically provide........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)