by James M. Hoover, CACM, Captain, USAF (Ret), ©2024
(Oct. 2, 2024) — Recently a friend asked my military opinion of the October 1, 2024 Iran missile barrage attack on Israel. I served 20 years USAF, 7 ½ in Command functions and some in the American Spy Network overseas. He suggested retaliation in Tehran, Iran. My reply for Israeli Air Forces (IAF) follows:
Sir, as your military advisor and no doubt IAF would agree with me, hitting Tehran is a wakeup call indeed, but kills and maims many Iranian citizens. Certainly it would disrupt capital city functions and cause chaos. Here’s a better plan to disable an enemy:
First, good generalship would strike and destroy the nuclear weapon facilities. At the vice- presidential debate last night, the participants seemed to agree that full development of nuclear weapons in Iran was about two weeks away. Iran has proved already that it has the delivery capacity for those and other weapons. Next, knock out their military bases big-time. This incapacitates more retaliatory responses from Iran. Then smash missile and artillery sites. Bombing ports and submarine pens would make them absolutely helpless. Then if you want to bomb Tehran, do so without taking risks of air resources and other Israeli aerospace assets.
Cripple them, then later cut off the heads of the theocracy that leads them. The aforementioned actions would no doubt make this crippling unnecessary.
The three Cs — command, control, and communication — are paramount to deviate an enemy. Refer to the 42-day first Southwest Mideast war. That was a great military success.