The Arab-Israeli Six Day War Essay Example
The Arab-Israeli Six Day War began on the 5th of June 1967, with Israel in the position of being surrounded by extremely hostile forces on 3 sides, out numbered in troops and weapons, limited in resources, and a significant possibility of annihilation as a nation. Their selected defensive option was an extremely well planned and exactingly executed pre-emptive strike on the air and ground forces of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. The primary objective was to gain early air superiority, eliminate the air threat against Israel’s citizens, and to provide air support to the Israeli ground forces. The accomplishment of the mission by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) was an unprecedented example of an air campaign that literally destroyed critical targets of the hostile air forces.
Summary and Doctrinal Implications
The Israeli air campaign had obtained the major objectives sought. They had gained total control of the air and could attack the Arab ground forces at will. And all was accomplished with a force much smaller than the combined air power of the Arab nations. Therefore, we need to look at the significant factors that tipped the warfare scale in favor of the Israelis.
Air War Successes
One of the major factors contributing to the success of the IAF was the advance planning and training that had been ongoing for years. This was not a new threat to the Israeli nation, and previous wars with the Arab nations had taught them that peace without significant force to back it would fail. They analyzed the last war of 1948 and scrutinized it for areas that could be a weakness in future conflicts. They invested time and money into practicing attacks on mock-ups of Egyptian airfields.
Intelligence on the activities and the capabilities of the Arab nations was also critical. Israeli pilots knew exactly what to expect prior to the first wave of the assault. They had a complete detailed catalogue of the Arab air bases, the timing of Egyptian air patrols, and
Summary and Doctrinal Implications
The Israeli air campaign had obtained the major objectives sought. They had gained total control of the air and could attack the Arab ground forces at will. And all was accomplished with a force much smaller than the combined air power of the Arab nations. Therefore, we need to look at the significant factors that tipped the warfare scale in favor of the Israelis.
Air War Successes
One of the major factors contributing to the success of the IAF was the advance planning and training that had been ongoing for years. This was not a new threat to the Israeli nation, and previous wars with the Arab nations had taught them that peace without significant force to back it would fail. They analyzed the last war of 1948 and scrutinized it for areas that could be a weakness in future conflicts. They invested time and money into practicing attacks on mock-ups of Egyptian airfields.
Intelligence on the activities and the capabilities of the Arab nations was also critical. Israeli pilots knew exactly what to expect prior to the first wave of the assault. They had a complete detailed catalogue of the Arab air bases, the timing of Egyptian air patrols, and