Lt. Meir's Angst

Iran-Syria axis against Israel- A typical scenario

Time March 24, 2012

The US has undertaken limited military operations against Iran. Iranian reactor at Busehr was hit by conventional Peacekeeper wing from North Dakota based 23rd ICBM Wing. Iran threatened immediate reprisal against US assets and military personnel based in the Middle East. Blaming the attack on Israeli lobby, Iranian parliament passes a bill to undertake limited military operations against Israel. As the Iranian government under Ahmedinejad faced immediate Israeli counterstrike, the Iranian IRBM tipped ballistic missile force was to be used only as a last resort. Iranian IRGC chief General Hajestani auhtorizes a transfer of four former Iraqi Mirage F1EQ strike aircraft to Syria. Painted in Syrian Air Force markings but flown by veteran Iranian pilot, Major Rashadeh, the elite strike unit is despatched to Damascus. The four planes are configured as follows:-

-BS353 Mirage F1EQ two tanks and two AS-30 Laser guided anti-surface missiles (Maj Rashadeh)
-BS354 Mirage F1EQ two ARMAT anti-radiation missiles and two tanks (Capt. Rashani)
-BS355 Mirage F1EQ two Matra Magic and two AA-10 'Alamo' IR guided AAMs (Capt Dagestani)
-BS356 Mirage F1EQ two Matra Magic and two AA-10 'Alamo' Semi-active radar AAMs (Capt Mojiar)

-MT135 Ilyushin 76 Candid tanker
-MS136 Ilyushin 76 'Mainstay' AWACS

The self styled 'Jurrat' force leaves Mehrabad airbase and heads straight to Damascus. Brig. Gen. Nuristani, a Russian air force acaedemy graduate IRGC officer takes command of this unit. The Glonass, the Russian GPS system, backs up this task force while another strategic Iranian airlift deploys SA-10 'Grumble' batteries in Damascus airport. Syrian armored units equipped with T-72s and T-80s accompanied by BMP-3s roll to Southern Lebanon, screened by SA-11 Gadfly batteries with advanced jammers and Kolchuga passive sensors.

On October 25, 2012, Maj. Rashadeh attempts to strike Israeli border post, a barrack of the Golani brigade reconnaissance unit beyond the blue line. Another unit of Su-33 Flankers, piloted by Ukrainian mercenaries, organize a Barrier Combat Air Patrol in case Israeli fighters try to intercept the strike package. Beirut based Lebanese MiG-29 unit is already on alert in case Israeli air force attempts to take em out. On dawn 3:00 AM, Rashadeh's flight attempts to lase the barrack and strike it. But, IsAF quickly foils the attempt by scrambling F-15Cs. As the AS-30 Strike is foiled, Capt. Rashani fires two ARMAT at a Hawk battery and manages to take it out despite attempts by the battery crew to switch off the system and use the new Elbit designed jammer. Four IDF soldeirs including a Sergeant is killed. Ten others were injured. The IsAF quickly attempts to manage a hasty fighter sweep but is foiled by SA-10 batteries to penetrate deep into Damascus sky. As the F-22 Raptors were grounded due to prodcution problems associated with the global economic crisis, the F-15s had to return back. At that moment, Nuristani decides to outflank IsAF defenders.

Intel sources obtained from Moscow both HUMINT and IMINT has detected a US relief convoy of two ships, one 10,000 ton SS Maria and a 6,000 ton SS Vadim, Ukrainian freighters, loaded with 100 M1A2 Abrams hastily purchased from US stocks and sent to IDF as immediate replacement for its Merkava fleet. The Jewish Lobby had persuaded Senators and the president to despatch this immediate relief in light of Iranian threat to send thousands of Sipah e Basij e Pasdaran volunteers on trucks through Iraq via Syria to the Golan to evict IDF 'occupation of Syrian territory'. Feindish Nuristani asks Rashadeh to quickly pounce on these. Rashadeh and his flight quickly move toward Northwestern Syria and land at Baniyas airbase. From a missile cache built up from French blackmarketeers, Syrian groundcrew load newly acquired AM39 Exocets, three each on Shehadeh and Rashanis multi-role jets while the other two Mirages escort the strike package. The Israeli air patrol in this area was limited and the two Iranian pilots score a major victory. The two ships receive two hits each causing both ships to capsize and sink with its cargo. Some crew escape but a precious cargo of Abrams tanks costing the US government nearly five hundred million dollars is lost. The Iranians achieve this victory with spending just around a hundred million dollars. There is immediate UN brokered ceasefire and as in 2006, Israel is left without a decisive victory for the second time.