Ingenuous Expressions

• 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.