IAF bases in North could be targets in future war
By Anshel Pfeffer Haaretz 8 March 2010
An internal study conducted by the Israel Air Force reveals that IAF
facilities in northern and central Israel could for the first time come
under fire from very accurate long-range missiles.
The air force has already begun to prepare personnel serving on its bases,
who are used to relatively secure conditions at their installations near the
home front, for this possibility.
Intelligence officials said that Hezbollah and the Syrians are procuring
tens of thousands of missiles and rockets, some with a range that could
allow them to strike central Israel, and that they are now much more
precise. It is believed that if war breaks out in the north, the Syrian army
and Hezbollah, and perhaps Hamas and Iran as well, will try to hit civilian
population centers in Israel as well as certain military targets - such as
deployment areas and especially air force bases.
The IAF's operational research branch shows that in a war lasting a few
weeks, each air force base in the north and center could potentially be
struck by a few dozen missiles. A larger number of missiles could also
strike the area around the base; even if they do not cause damage, alerts
and preparation for bombardment could also damage the base's ongoing
functioning.
The IAF has been preparing for possible ground-to-ground missile strikes on
its bases for a number of years already.
The air force is said to prefer continuing to operate at its regular bases,
even while under attack by dozens of missiles. The IAF reportedly believes
that even if planes are hit or runways damaged, operational capability will
not be compromised if all crews are prepared for the emergency.
Since most air force personnel serve in relatively secure facilities deep in
the home front, the extensive preparations the air force is undertaking for
such an eventuality among its thousands of personnel is considered a
psychological revolution.
A plan is also under consideration to deploy the Iron Dome rocket defense
system - whose first battery is to go into service this summer - to protect
military targets rather than using the system protect only vulnerable cities
in the south, particularly Ashkelon and Sderot, as originally planned. The
chief of staff or the defense minister must first deem this plan as
essential.
Preparednesss of IAF bases and squadrons for an outbreak of war in the north
has been drilled a number of times over the past year, including an
operational drill code-named "Firestone 12," run by the General Staff two
weeks ago for just such a scenario.
The Israel Air Force has a set of considerations different from other
branches of the IDF, as its career officers are the only ones whose families
live on the base. Some base commanders reportedly believe that in the event
of a missile attack, their families will have to be evacuated from the base.
While population centers will also be in danger, commanders say that the IAF
bases are a kind of "magnet" for missiles, and therefore the families are in
greater danger than those living in other places. The presence of families
on the base during an attack may also distract pilots and other officers
from their missions and compromise the effectiveness of the base.
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