The AESA radars on the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16C Fighting Falcon fighter-bombers were a key factor in intercepting Iranian drones during the massive attack launched by Tehran against Israel at midnight on April 13 of this year. Combat aviation served as one of the defensive layers against the Iranian offensive, which included drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.
The importance of AESA radars, as well as some of the tactics adopted for the defense of Israel and U.S. positions in the Middle East, were analyzed in a recent report by Aaron Stein, published by the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). The assessment of U.S. Air Force actions, along with those of Israel and allied countries, highlights several key aspects of the April 13 operations, particularly the performance of the American F-15E and F-16C fighter-bombers.
According to the author, “…the combination of the AESA and the Sniper pod enabled both detection and visual confirmation to ensure the target was indeed a drone and not a vehicle on the road…”. This sensor pairing was widely used by U.S. F-15E and F-16C aircraft during the hours of defensive operations against Iranian drones.
It is worth noting that both the F-15E and F-16C were modernized with AESA radars. In the case of the Strike Eagle, the Radar Modernization Program began more than a decade ago, replacing the mechanically scanned AN/APG-70 with the more capable AN/APG-82(V)1. Meanwhile, the Fighting Falcon is also receiving upgrades to its detection systems, replacing the AN/APG-68 with the SABR AN/APG-83 AESA radar.
The pairing is complemented by Lockheed Martin’s Sniper pod, an electro-optical system that not only allows for target illumination but can also be used to detect and track various types of targets. During the April 13 operations, the pod was used for positive drone identification, as the Iranian attack UAVs could be mistaken for vehicles on roads due to their low speed and altitude.
This was confirmed by an F-15E pilot in an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine a few months ago, detailing: “…We received one radar signal, and another, and another, and another… At first, it wasn’t clear what those radar contacts were. To confirm they were airborne missiles and not ground vehicles, Hester activated the aircraft’s air-to-ground targeting system for visual confirmation…”.
Establishing air corridors and kill zones
Faced with a potential Iranian attack, U.S. Air Force planners “…correctly deduced that Iran would route the drones over Iraq and through the triple border with Syria and Jordan. This assessment was based on logic and prior Iranian practice…”, explained Aaron Stein in his analysis.
However, the author also notes that Iran’s strategy included modifications to increase drone approach routes, such as from the Golan Heights (via Saudi Arabia) or from the Mediterranean, before turning toward Israel. “…The airspace to be defended was vast: a 360-degree threat axis. To cover this large area, the U.S. established three corridors: North, Central, and South, along the predicted approach routes of the attacking drones…”, Stein clarifies.
Each corridor was turned into a “kill zone,” with designated combat air patrols assigned to each. The strategy involved assigning four-fighter formations to each corridor. Stein details in his article that the North and Central corridors were covered by F-15 Strike Eagles, while F-16C Fighting Falcons covered the South.
In addition to their AESA radars and Sniper pods, the U.S. fighter-bombers were armed with a mix of AIM-9M/X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles: eight per F-15E and six per F-16.
Against the Iranian drone swarms, the author notes that the F-15E and F-16 defenders expended all their missiles within 20 minutes. Once ammunition was depleted, the aircraft transmitted targeting information to other relay planes to maintain the interception and shoot-down cycle. In total, U.S. combat aviation shot down approximately 80 aerial targets that night, including missiles and drones.
The air operations of April 13 offered countless lessons for the U.S. Air Force, including exploring options to counter drones, as the cost and replenishment capabilities of air-to-air missiles are a significant disadvantage against low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles. One solution was the adoption of laser-guided APKWS rockets, a weapon that is not only more cost-effective but also greatly increases combat capacity due to the number of projectiles a fighter-bomber can carry.
Illustrative cover image. Credits: USAF – Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske
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