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Source: https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/how-the-israeli-air-force-is-preparing-for-multi-arena-war/
How the Israeli Air Force Is Preparing for Multi-Arena War
(Israel Today) Yaakov Lappin - In mid-June, the Israel Defense Forces completed a major two-week war exercise, dubbed "Firm Hand," which simulated a multi-arena war starting with Hizbullah and Lebanon and spreading to other locations, including Iran. In May, the Israel Air Force sent, for the first time, F-16 fighter aircraft to Cyprus as part of the "Blue Sun" exercise, which simulated war with Hizbullah in Lebanon. The drill also saw Israeli intelligence-gathering jets, C-130 transport helicopters, Apache gunships, and special forces on the ground. The IAF, which is due to have two full squadrons of F-35 fifth-generation jets by 2024, and is due to receive a third squadron in the coming years, is preparing itself for the plentiful security challenges of the 21st century. "Iran is the one pushing with full force for a multi-arena conflict," said Jacob Nagel, a former national security advisor. "The Iranians have to understand that they won't stay outside of this. That will create additional and important roles for the IAF, in the depth of enemy territory and in nearer arenas, but others will also be involved - intelligence, cyber, precise missiles, special forces and more." Nagel said that it is vital to build multi-domain ground forces made up of a combination of forces, which are versatile enough to operate in multiple arenas and are well defended against developing threats. "There will be much significance to secrecy and the ability to reach targets at any range without being discovered," he said. "The future mix should be made up of two-thirds unmanned and a third manned," he added. With time, even more of the air force could become unmanned, according to Nagel. However, "There will still remain manned aircraft in the coming generation," he added. The navy, for its part, will also have an important role, said Nagel, particularly special naval forces.