In January, Israeli warplanes reportedly flew hundreds of miles, crossing into Sudan to strike an arms convoy allegedly bound for Gaza. Seventeen trucks were destroyed and as many as 39 people killed, according to reports. In this age of increasingly lethal air defenses and aging fighter fleets, the apparent raid underscores the Israeli air force's continued ability to hit targets at long range. It's a capability with serious deterrent effects. In April, the Iranian air force reportedly canceled a planned ceremonial fly-past in Tehran, over fears that Israeli jets might bomb the assembled aircraft.
How does Israel maintain its aviators' edges, despite having so little airspace in which to train? Jason Reich, who writes for my blog War Is Boring, visited the Israeli Defense Force's high-tech fighter simulation facility, to see for himself. The facility, officially called the Hatzor Training Squadron, features IMAX-like simulators for pilots of the F-16I (pictured) and F-15 Avionics Upgrade Package fighters. Each pilot spends four days a year at Hatzor, flying three sim missions per day. The first of the new IMAX-esque sims was installed last year, at a cost of at least $20 million.
The super-smart simulator, designed by Lockheed Martin and maintained by Elbit, can run programs to replicate flying in poor weather, with AI-steered enemy defenses buzzing and enemy fighters patrolling all around, while mechanical problems disable some of your jet's systems. Teenage simulation controllers manage the AI-brained computer wingmen, SAM sites and fighter patrols -- and can pick which systems to knock out on your jet, to force you to adapt. "Simulators make us safer" and "prepare us for emergencies or combat," said Capt. G, a 26-year-old F-16 pilot. (The IDF does not allow pilots to give their full names to reporters.)
Incidentally, the F-16 and F-15 sims at Hatzor are run entirely by women. Not surprisingly, they are some of the smartest troops in the whole force. "Our simulator instructors are picked up straight from high school, sent to a grueling 10-month course, and at the age of 18 or 19, are already working with our pilots," said Maj. E, an F-15 pilot. "This is amongst the most elite positions for women in the IDF."
The IDF just finished re-equipping with around 100 of the new F-16Is, which feature fuselage-mounted extra fuel tanks for longer range, plus 25 F-15Is also optimized for long-range strikes. Looking ahead, the IDF wants at least 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters -- and perhaps as many as 75. Israeli airspace isn't getting any bigger, so simulators like Hatzor's will remain vital to filling those cockpits with skilled pilots.
[PHOTO: via F-16.net]
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