Measured response so far.....we will see.
Turned into target practice for the combined air forces of Israel and its allies. I wonder how many million dollar missiles were used on the Iranian drones.
The only ones that will be be overwhelmed will be Syria and Iran.
I have a begrudging admiration for the Iranians and their low cost cruise drones. They have mastered a form of asymmetric warfare that I've wondered about for decades. I find it amazing that this sort of thing wasn't tried many years ago.
I am reminded of a study regarding air defense of ships back in the days before the Aegis system allegedly made by the Rand corporation. The initial study showed that a ship with a single-ended missile system was killed every time by a four ship attack by F-4 equivalent attackers. Having a two-channel missile system kept the ship safe. Some wag then decided to program the attackers to be A-1 Skyraiders, and their numbers to be set by the cost of the four F-4s. As you might guess, that gives you a lot of A-1s. They put that data into the model and the ship died every time...along with lots of Spad pilots, but the exchange rate in financial terms was still good.
News reports so far are very sparse on details, but it appears that only a few Iranian weapons made it into Israel, doing only minor damage and no fatalities. Most were destroyed by air defenses. I saw no mention of Israeli retaliatory measures.
Worries about WWIII are premature at this point.
I will admit that our enemies undoubtedly recognize the window of opportunity that is now wide open slowly closing the closer we get to the November elections. Either the Israelis or the US need to whack the Iranian oil fields. That will get their attention.
Very dangerous times ahead.
The first drones (small unmanned remotely controlled aircraft) were developed and tested by both the British and American militaries during WWI but were not used operationally. So at least the idea of using drones for warfare goes back for over 100 years.I have a begrudging admiration for the Iranians and their low cost cruise drones. They have mastered a form of asymmetric warfare that I've wondered about for decades. I find it amazing that this sort of thing wasn't tried many years ago.
I am reminded of a study regarding air defense of ships back in the days before the Aegis system allegedly made by the Rand corporation. The initial study showed that a ship with a single-ended missile system was killed every time by a four ship attack by F-4 equivalent attackers. Having a two-channel missile system kept the ship safe. Some wag then decided to program the attackers to be A-1 Skyraiders, and their numbers to be set by the cost of the four F-4s. As you might guess, that gives you a lot of A-1s. They put that data into the model and the ship died every time...along with lots of Spad pilots, but the exchange rate in financial terms was still good.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill: “Now this is not the beginning. It is not even the end of the beginning. But it is, perhaps, the beginning of the end.”
Apparently the US gave Iran the green light as long as their attack was "within certain limits". Iran informed Turkey in advance of its operation against Israel - The Jerusalem Post
What they’ve mastered is a form of warfare that doesn’t work against any organized military. I think 7 out of over 300 landed on Israeli soil. What’s there to admire ? They are cowards playing a cowards game.
More of a perversion of his quote than a paraphrase.
Actual quote on November 10, 1942, Winston Churchill said this: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Perverse times we live in, my man.
Israel is asked to exercise restraint after 60 tons of munitions are aimed and sent towards its territory.
Just imagine how much restraint the United States would exercise if Mexico or China aimed toxic chemicals at the United States that actually killed over 100,000 Americans last year.