Since the early morning hours, the Israel Defense Forces, together with the United States Armed Forces, have been carrying out a series of strikes against Iranian territory, deploying a significant number of military assets. In the Israeli case, under the so-called Operation Roaring Lion, approximately two hundred (200) combat aircraft have been involved, prominently featuring the F-16I Sufa and RAMPAGE missile combination.
According to reports released by the Israeli Air Force and the Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman), since early this morning a total of 200 combat aircraft — including F-35I Adir, F-15D Baz, and F-16I Sufa fighters — carried out 500 strikes against various targets, notably air defense systems and ballistic missile launch systems.
In an official statement, it was mentioned that: “The strikes against the defense systems enabled the expansion of air superiority over Iranian skies and severely damaged the regime’s primary offensive capability: the launch sites in western Iran.” It added: “One of the targeted sites was established in the Tabriz area, in western Iran. The site was used by a surface-to-surface missile unit, and from there dozens of missiles were planned to be launched toward the rear of the State of Israel.”
Although no further details were provided, it is presumed that the initial strikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force during the early morning hours were executed by the F-35I Adir. The combination of precision-guided munitions and stealth capabilities spearheaded the suppression of enemy air defenses missions, paving the way for subsequent action by F-15D aircraft in the air superiority role and F-16I fighters in strike missions. In this regard, the elimination of high-ranking personnel within Iran’s defense system was highlighted.
Thanks to images circulating on social media — both from official IDF accounts and other outlets — part of the weapons package employed by Israeli fighters can be observed. For example, one sequence shows an F-15D, presumably from the 133rd Squadron of the Israeli Air Force based at Tel Nof Airbase and known as the Knights of the Twin Tail, equipped with air-to-air missiles and GBU-31 guided bombs fitted with the JDAM kit.
However, the most noteworthy case involves the F-16I Sufa, one of the main workhorses of Israeli combat aviation, which has conducted combat sorties equipped with AIM-120B AMRAAM air-to-air missiles on the wingtips and air-launched RAMPAGE ballistic missiles.
The latter is particularly significant, as the RAMPAGE — a locally developed supersonic missile — is designed for rapid and effective response and has been used extensively by the Israeli Air Force during recent conflicts in Gaza and Yemen, as well as in strikes carried out against Iran last year.
According to its manufacturer, Elbit Systems, the Rampage “…features a pre-programmable or in-flight mission profile, a satellite/INS navigation system with anti-jamming capabilities, a general-purpose warhead, and ‘fire-and-forget’ capabilities…”.
Finally, it is noted that the missile weighs 580 kilograms. The Rampage missile is valued for its precision and long range, with a circular error probable of less than 10 meters, and is reportedly capable of striking ground targets at distances ranging between 150 and 250 kilometers.
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