A few days before ‘Lion’s Roar’, teams from the Air Force Technical Unit 22 faced a technological challenge, the solution to which was essential for a smooth launch of Operation ‘Lion’s Roar’.
But as experienced individuals in creative solutions, they knew how to overcome the obstacle. “After intensive work by the unit’s team of expert engineers and technicians, we found a solution,” says the commander. And thus, it became possible to significantly extend the flight time of fighter jets – and to attack the infrastructure and senior figures of the Iranian terror regime.
This is just one example among many of the Air Force Technical Unit’s activities throughout the war, and for many years before it. As the central maintenance body of the Air Force in the ‘physical’ domain, they are involved in the overhaul, upgrade, and rehabilitation of aircraft, airborne systems, and ground equipment. “We take an aircraft and dismantle it to its smallest parts,” demonstrates the unit commander, Colonel A, “we address every risk or malfunction, and reassemble an advanced product, which is safe to perform its missions successfully for many years to come.”
This material aspect is complemented by a parallel unit, 108, responsible for the Air Force’s electronics, communications, and weapon systems, as the highest maintenance echelon. Beneath these extensive domains lie critical systems for every aerial operation: armament, defense, communication, navigation, control equipment, and much more.
“Our role is, on one hand, to maintain the airborne and ground electronic systems of the Air Force, and on the other hand, to develop innovative operational technologies,” details the unit commander, Colonel P, “from the level of a single chip to components now used in the skies over Iran and Lebanon, we ensure that the ‘war machine’ called the Air Force continues to advance.”
And at Unit 108, naturally, they are also very busy these days. Take, for example, the ‘Baz’ (F-15) fighter jet, which entered service in the Israeli Air Force exactly 50 years ago and is currently undergoing maintenance by the unit. It quickly became one of the most significant and successful fighter jets in the Air Force, accumulating many operational achievements – and despite its age on paper, it continues on the same path.
But there was, or rather, there used to be, a small problem, related to one of the older systems that required repeated repairs. Instead of doing this over and over, the unit’s personnel built a completely updated version. An external observer might not notice the changes, but the final result is clearly felt by the pilots on the front lines.
In addition to the technological advantage, this represents a significant economic advantage. “If we were to abandon the aircraft that are nearing the end of their service life, and instead wait to buy new ones, we would both lose a lot of money, and there could be an interim period where fewer systems are available for operational use,” emphasizes the commander of Unit 108, “by renewing the aircraft independently, professionally, and creatively, we save tens of millions, and enable powerful combat continuity with a full toolbox.”
Quite a few of the operational capabilities we have mentioned began as projects initiated by unit personnel, as part of a unique specialization in Unit 108 called ‘Level D Electronics Technicians’ – whose soldiers are identified as engineers or undergo extensive training at Air Force Base 2.
In the end, it starts with a need, becomes a plan combining professional knowledge accumulated from the Air Force’s many missions, and is translated, thanks to the dedicated and skilled teams of Unit 108 and the Air Force Technical Unit, into the aerial superiority evident in the skies above us.