Tactics of IDF operation that stunned whole world

Friday, April 13, 2012 / Posted by Prashant Auti /


Nowadays whenever you turn off the pages of newspapers like The Hindu and TOI you will most probably encounter on ‘World’ page the news of Iran-Israel tensions over Iran’s nuclear reactor. The issue is so heated up right now that there’s possibility that Israel may launch pre-emptive attack on Iran’s nuclear reactor bringing the memories of operation opera.This was gist of last post.
So as I promised in the last post I’ll be telling you guys in brief about tactics of Operation opera.
So here it is-

Operation Opera/Babylon


Just to give you the gist of my last post, op opera was tactical mission devised by Israeli intelligence to launch preemptive attack on Osirak nuclear reactor (Iraq) wherein IDF (Israeli defense forces) obliterated reactor and averted future threat of nuclear weapons generation and its subsequent use by Iraq on Israel.

Background

Iraq’s President-cum-dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime was full of unnecessary wars and uncanny dictatorship. This war-mongering authoritarian launched ambitious nuclear programme to support war effort and also to become first arab Islamic country to have nuke armaments to establish political influence on the arab world. He sought help of French scientists in this endeavour who once also helped Israel for the same (Israel, however, have always shown ambiguity regarding having nuke weapons in their arsenal). It was necessary to attack nuclear reactor before it became hot (activated) as such attack won't have long lasting radiation complications and hence human toll.So as soon as Israel got intel that reactor will be activated  soon, they carried out the operation.

Planning

1) Choice of planes
  • By 1980 IAF had A-4N Skyhawk, KFIR C-2, F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon planes.
  • Skyhawk and C-2 were prime air to ground delievary, but they lacked the range to reach Osirak without refueling and also lacked speed for effective egress from target.
  • Third generation fighters like F-15 Eagle and F-16 Falcon were new and available to US and Israel only.
F-15 Eagle- Air superiority to protect other planes in fleet and long range 


F-16 Falcon- Strike fighters for heavily defended targets
  • These jets could fly long distance without ground navigation aid because of inertial navigation system. Also F-16 have under wing fuel tanks.
2) Choice of weapons -
  • Standoff weapons or smart bombs could be futile in case of inclement weather which could obfuscate reactor during bomb deliverance.
  • That's why they used classical non-precision heavy bombs which would accomplish complete destruction of reactor.
3) Meticulous planning -
  • It is said that Israel started planning 4 years before actual attack.
  • Meanwhile they gathered all possible info in the form of detailed maps, navigation routes, weather data, aircraft performance charts, bomb fuse timing, release angle, target area flows and contingency plans.
  • Very few people were having awareness about this operation which thwarted the risk of spilling secrets out and thereby jeopardize the entire operation.
4) Hard practice -
  • Israel is small nation (near about 2 times the size of Pune distict) so they are not habituated for long flights. Also most combat flights (as in six day war etc.) are of less than 1 hour.
  • Practice for descending and ascending for dropping bomb of 1000 Kg was needed. This dive bomb targeting was practiced on Israeli radar dome site in Negev.
  • SO hard practice for long flight and dropping bomb was done for near about 9 months.
5) Delayed fusing of bomb -
  • Delayed fusing was enabled to have enhanced cratering effect against reactor dome and also to protect jets passing over reactor dome just after bombing.
  • Non precision bombs selected were having explosion area of 3400 feet on ground and 2800 feet in air that means any plane below 2800 feet could be destroyed.
  • Safe arming alttitude was 3800 feet but they practiced so ahrd that their apex was at 5000 feet

Execution

  • All planes (six F-15 and eight F-16) were boarded earlier on Etzion Air Base to decrease suspicion. Also pilots stayed together from June 5-7 which increased morale, team spirit and coordination.
"Fleet of planes was launched on 7th June 1981 in diamond formation at the speed of 360 knots (666 km/h) with 30 seconds launch interval and flying at the height of 100 feet to avoid being detected by radar"
  • No radio calls/ radar emissions came from these planes.
  • At predefined location in the region around reactor, F-15 split into two-shape formation, turned on radars and external electronic counter measure pods and climbed to cover F-16 planes. It all happened at Initiation point, where F-16 would make final preparation to strike.
  • Switching on radars and climbing up of F-15 served dual purpose-(a) Protecting F-16 planes and (b) Deception

Route of attack and return
  • Following pic depicts movement of planes for last 20 kilometers from reactor.
Various phases of attack
(1) Initiation point (20 km far from reactor) -Ascending at 1000+ meters height
(2) Further ascending to 2000+ m (3) Diving at 1100km/h to launch bomb
(4) Reascending (5) Ascending to height where AAA & SAM attack would be futile
  • F-16 plane came in two-shape formation now to attack reactor. They dropped 1000kg 'Mk82' bombs over reactor. Each two-ships arrived as the explosion from the last formation subsided. Sixteen 'Mk84' bombs (totaling 14 metric tons) were dropped in less than 2 minutes. All but two hit bulls eye.
  • In-Flight Video Tape Recorder (VTR) and othe means were used to assess reactor destruction. The attack was successful!

Some other interesting insights about attack

  • If you're thinking that there were no anti-aircraft weapons near reactor site then by no stretch of imagination, you're deluded! Iraq had already staged Anti-aircraft Artillery(AAA) and Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) to counteract any untoward incidence as Iran had already attacked the same site, though with least success, during Iran-Iraq War.
  • The actual time of attack, few minutes before sunset,  security personnel went to have tea. So  most of them were not present during attack yielding fighter planes time for safe escape.
  • Also planes were falling short of distance without refueling (the whole attack was supposed to be undertaken in one go only) so technique of "Hot refueling"  was used. Also external fuel tanks were jettisoned at Saudi desert to relieve weight and hence add few extra miles in flight.
  • Planes are supposed to have gone through "Blind corridor" (part of not so intense surveillance) of Saudi desert.
  • Pilots of jet planes supposed to have used Jordanian accent in Saudi area and vice versa and stating they are Jordanian/Saudi patrol plane who had lost path and now going back.
  • Fleet unknowingly passed over the yacht of King Hussein of Jordan, who was vacationing in gulf, Hussein immediately asked military authorities who were baffled as radar didn't show any signal. It is said that Hussein informed Iraqi authorities about suspicious flight activity but message wasn't delivered due to communication error.
Attack was successful with only 11 casualties (10 Iraqi soldiers+ 1 French Scientist; Israel paid compensation to french scientist's family). Next day at 8th June 1981, Israel declared that they've attacked Osirak reactor. Following attack Israel faced condemnation from international community, UN and IAEA. In the aftermath, american forces found evidences of conspirational mindset of Saddam and statements like wiping Israel from the face of the earth during US invasion of Iraq in 2003, while some claim that attack actually infuriated Saddam with even bigger ambition of nuke weapons. This successful (because it stunted development of Iraq's nuclear programme) operation increased reputation of IDF and stun whole world with intricate tactics and outstanding execution.


Disclaimer: Although I've tried my best to compile all possible info in brief, there could be some points missing as original tactics of operation are always Iron-clad.If anybody finds something new or any discrepancy about this topic feel free to comment.


Some references and good reads about this topic-
1) 1981: Israel bombs Baghdad nuclear reactor
2) Factfile: How Osirak was bombed
3) Lessons from Israel's Operation Babylon
4) http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps64974/ocp59.pdf
5) The F-16s passed me at Osirak
6) Osirak: Over the reactor
7) Operation Opera

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2 comments:

Comment by Umesh Gaikwad on 16 April 2012 at 11:27

Very interesting to read your blog with lucid explanation, even novice can understand the brief idea about the operation. Well executed........

Comment by Prashant Auti on 19 April 2012 at 21:25

Thank you Umesh

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