Israeli Air Force Completes In-Flight Refueling Exercise In Apparent “Show of Force” to Iran | Aviation

Israel flexes its aviation muscles as tensions with Iran soar, with an exercise simulating “a long-range flight deep in enemy territory” supported by aerial refueling.

On Aug. 15, 2024, the Israeli Air Force carried out an air refueling exercise involving their 707 “Re’em” tankers and F-35I “Adir” and F-15C/D “Baz” fighters. One extremely rare aspect of the exercise was that the receiver aircraft were all armed with live weapons.

“The exercise simulated long-range flight deep behind enemy lines, performing aerial refueling in short periods of time. Aerial refueling is an operational capability required by the combat force, enabling it to remain airborne for long periods of time,” mentioned the social media posts made by the Israeli Air Force.

The exercise

In images released by the Israel Defense Forces, the IAF shows off a variety of weapon systems. The McDonnell Douglas F-15C “Baz”, the single-seat variant of the most successful fighter aircraft of all time, is shown carrying GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) while the F-15D (two-seat model) carries the AGM-142 “Popeye”. The AGM-142 is an Israeli-produced air-to-surface standoff missile while a JDAM is a kit to turn a “dumb” (or…