bosnjo bosnjakovic retweetledi
Why US airpower is being stretched to its limit in Iran.📜
And why Iran can outlast the US because of it.
The reality in the air, is that the US fighters on search & destroy missions only have less than 60 minutes of loiter time over Western and Southern parts of Iran.
Leaving vast swaths of Iran untouched by search & destroy missions. This allows Iran to hide missile launchers and critical systems.
The images of strikes deep into Iran are done by standoff munitions hitting stationary targets. Not Search and Destroy missions that is needed to deal with mobile and popup threats like missile launchers.
Hence the importance of that distinction.
🔹There only 2 main bases of operation for US fighters:
1️⃣Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan;
--Distance to Western Iran: ~700km to 900km.
--Fighters on base: F-15E; Combat radius ~1270km.
--Loiter time over Western Iran of 30min to 60min.
2️⃣USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft carrier;
--Distance to Southern Iran: ~800km to ~1000km.
--Fighters on carrier: F-35C and F/A-18 E/F; Combat radius 1220km and 700km respectively.
--Loiter time over Southern Iran, extremely limited.
The US operates other bases in the region as well, in Qatar, Bahrain and UAE. but those are under incredible stress, affecting sortie. Most of them are at less than 50% capacity.
🔹The Tyranny of distance.
This hard restriction means the US can never destroy all the missile and drone launchers, and Iran will continue to posses the capabilities of shutting off the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely.
This point alone means Iran WILL outlast the US, because Trump cannot afford to have high oil prices which will cause spiraling inflation.
The clock is ticking, election campaigning for the 2026 US midterm elections have already started. Trump is facing a Democrat victory if he doesn't find an off ram to end the war.
English
