Rare cooperation between Armored Corps and Air Force
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Special footage reveals just how close the Israel Defense Forces ground troops came to an Israeli Air Force bombing location. One of the IDF's main secrets for success in the ground maneuver in Gaza is its improved cooperation. In some cases there has been unprecedented cooperation between the ground, air and naval forces that fight together.
Read more:
A remotely operated Air Force aircraft recorded an extraordinary moment in northern Gaza, during which terrorists hiding in the upper floors of residential towers opened massive fire with anti-tank missiles. The commander immediately ordered the soldiers to get back into their APC's and those who were in tanks to get ready at nearby positions, then he asked for fighter jets to destroy the building which was the source of the fire.
In less than 10 minutes from the moment of the request by 401 Armored Brigade Commander Col. Benny Aharon, fighter jets launched bombs weighing several tons that destroyed the four towers from which the terrorists were firing, while the soldiers were located only about 250 meters from them. Until a few years ago, the operational safety instructions greatly limited these close ranges, but the Air Force has improved its capabilities in such a way that such attacks were possible in a safer way.
On the day of the murderous October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the safety ranges were being discussed. For example, at the request of an infantry team from the Gaza Brigade, which was inside a jeep protected against small arms fire, the operator of an unmanned aircraft launched a missile at terrorists who were only six meters away from the jeep. The missile hit the terrorists, leaving the soldiers in the jeep unharmed.
"Our goal is to prevent the ground forces from meeting the enemy, before the enemy meets the Air Force," said Capt. E., from the cooperation unit in the Air Force. "When I plan for the next mission, I sit with a UAV operator; he knows his abilities in the attack cell and he knows us well, same with the fighter helicopter pilots," said Maj. Yogev, Capt. E.'s colleague from the 401st Armored Brigade.
The epitome of the cooperation between the two units is the record of seven minutes from an aerial fire request until the Air Force makes contact with the target. "This is how we destroyed an anti-tank squad together. The hunt is shared and it is very rare that terrorists walk around without us identifying and immediately eliminating them," said Capt. E.
Capt. E. had another case where he could direct an Apache pilot to remove the threat. "The troops noticed terrorists shooting at them from a multiple-floor building, and the fighter helicopter pilot that I directed sent a precision missile to the window where the terrorist was," he explained.
"We operate planes in the air until the last drop of fuel, sometimes we do double missions in the same air sortie and use every minute in the air to provide more assistance, observation and firepower to the soldiers on the ground, while covering wider areas with the most advanced reconnaissance technologies on the planes. This cooperation leads to the elimination of dozens of terrorists every day, and even if there is a cease-fire, we will destroy every terrorist who is considered a threat," he said.