A major unexplained aspect of the IDF Shaldag special operation on September 8 against an underground Iranian missile production facility near Masyaf in Syria, has been how the Israel Air Force penetrated the country’s air defenses, managed to transport so many troops 200 km. into Syria, and provided air support to prevent interference from other nearby Syrian forces.
On Thursday, the IDF revealed a wide variety of air force activities that facilitated the operation.
Such intelligence is generally only possible with air transport and support.
Closer to the operation, the IAF started a series of sub-operations to reduce Syria’s air defense capabilities in the area, though, in a time-honored military strategy, it was often not clear to Syria that a minor strike on a single radar or other air defense component could be part of a longer-term macro plan to go after the Masyaf facility.
All of this occurred with the knowledge that Syria had five different large air defense installations that could impact Israeli aircraft and troops trying to travel to the facility.
With air defenses in Hama, Homs, Tartarus, the Banias, and near the facility itself, Iran’s missile production site was the second best-protected area in Syria after Damascus itself, with dozens of radars and air defense systems in play.
Put differently, without air force operations plowing the road through the various air defenses over time, the area around the Masyaf facility would have been a no-go-zone for Israeli aircraft.
IDF sources were especially worried about Syria’s SA-22 air defense systems, which are relatively advanced.
The operation itself involved four Yasur helicopters, two more helicopters, around half a dozen dedicated drones at all times near the site, more than a dozen transport aircraft for various logistics items and explosives, and around 70 aircraft overall, with a total of around 50 munitions used.
Most of the forces approached Syria from the Mediterranean Sea, mainly flying through Lebanon and with a short, around 18-minute flight time in Syria itself.
Deconfliction with Russia
The IDF did not want to comment on specifics of its deconfliction with Russia, but it has been known for years now that regular deconfliction communications take place between the parties, facilitating the IDF striking Syrian targets without endangering Russian assets.
Sometime not long before the operation, the air force attacked a wide range of Syrian targets not near Masyaf, and one near Masyaf but not part of the Iranian target facility.
Eventually, the IAF carried out its initial attack on the 30 guards protecting the facility and dropped off the 120 Shaldag forces it was carrying in two different locations to isolate the facility and approach it from multiple directions.
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