During the weekend air strikes against Iran – dubbed Operation Epic Fury – that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the US unleashed an array of weaponry against more than 1,000 Iranian targets, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters and bombers.
04:41
Iran’s Supreme leader Khamenei confirmed dead after US-Israeli strikes
Iran’s Supreme leader Khamenei confirmed dead after US-Israeli strikes
In addition to traditional aerial weapons, the US military again showed how important electronic warfare, intelligence gathering and AI-assisted intelligence missions are in modern warfare.
After the 12-day war with the US and Israel in June – which US President Donald Trump said “obliterated” Iranian nuclear sites as well as the country’s missile bases, radar installations and command structures – Tehran attempted to build up its air-defence systems with Chinese-made HQ-9B and Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles.
However, these systems were seen as incapable of defending Iranian airspace after failing to intercept the US and Israeli air strikes that killed Khamenei and other senior political and military figures.
A similar pattern was observed in January during a US military operation in Venezuela to capture its leader Nicolas Maduro, when the US neutralised the Venezuelan air-defence system using EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.