Israeli Air Force Intelligence Uncovers Iran’s Air Defense Network, Secures Air Superiority

In 2023, a specialized intelligence team from the Israeli Air Force and Military Intelligence Directorate developed a groundbreaking method to locate and track Iran’s entire network of surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries, including those hidden underground. Despite initial skepticism about a small team’s ability to challenge Iran’s vast air defense system, the effort succeeded in mapping every missile battery, enabling Israel to plan precise airstrikes deep into Iranian territory, including sites near Tehran.

The intelligence operation combined deep technical knowledge of Iranian systems, including Russian, Chinese, and indigenous technologies, with real-time visual intelligence from satellites and drones. This allowed Israeli forces to anticipate Iranian moves, detect mobile SAM units, and neutralize them even when concealed in tunnels or special pits. The team also identified Iranian commanders and operators, enhancing targeting accuracy.

Iran adapted by deploying low-signature electro-optical SAM systems like the "358" and hiding batteries in containers or underground, but Israeli intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities, including F-35 stealth jets, maintained the upper hand. Israeli pilots risked heavy missile fire to strike these defenses, supported by continuous intelligence updates that warned of ambushes and adjusted attack routes.

This intelligence breakthrough enabled multiple successful air raids that disrupted Iran’s air defenses and Revolutionary Guard leadership, opening a corridor from Isfahan to Tehran. The operation’s success relied on close cooperation with the U.S. and ongoing development of new intelligence infrastructure and weaponry to stay ahead of Iranian countermeasures. Challenges remain, including Iran’s potential increased arms imports and underground fortifications, which Israel continues to study and prepare to counter.

All details were approved for publication by Israeli military censorship.