84 ÆTHER: A JOURNAL OF STRATEGIC AIRPOWER & SPACEPOWER
IRAN, ISRAEL, AND
THE STRUGGLE FOR
THE SKIES OVER
THE MIDDLE EAST
Israel and Iran have been engaged in an expanding conict across the Middle East since
the late 1990s. Iran continues its long- standing support of proxy forces that surround
Israel, and Israel persists in its defense with a variety of air, ground, and sea capabilities,
undermining Iran’s power- projection eorts. Facets of this protracted conict have been
studied deeply, but this article addresses a gap in existing literature by examining Iranian
attempts to undermine Israeli airpower strategy through weapons developments and de-
ployments across the region. is analysis reveals lessons for an advanced air force facing a
similar asymmetric challenge.
I
n March 2021, Israeli F-35s intercepted an unidentied aircra speeding toward
Israeli airspace. Aer identifying the aircra as a hostile drone, the pilots shot it
down, resulting in the rst conrmed air- to- air kill for an F-35.
1
Upon subsequent
investigation, Israeli authorities discovered the aircra was one of three Iranian
drones destined for Hamas- controlled territory in the Gaza Strip. In addition to col-
lecting intelligence as they passed over Israeli territory, the drones carried weapons for
Palestinian ghters.
is incident, conducted within the context of a broader struggle between the two
rivals, is part of an increasing attempt by Iran to contest Israel’s long- held supremacy
in the skies over the Middle East. e two countries have been engaged in an expanding
conict across the Middle East since 2006. Iran has attempted to entrench its inu-
ence in the Levant by surrounding Israel with a ring of proxy forces, and Israel has
relied on a range of capabilities to sabotage Iranian capability developments and under-
mine Iranian power- projection eorts.
1. omas Newdick, “Israel Shows the F-35’s First Aerial Kill in Newly Declassied Video,” Warzone,
March 7, 2022, https://www.thedrive.com/.
Major Joshua Dryden, USAF, chief of the commander's action group for the 517th Training Group at the Presi-
dio of Monterey, holds a master of science in special operations and irregular warfare from the Naval Postgradu-
ate School and a master of arts in intelligence studies from American Military University.
Airpower in the Middle East
Joshua DryDen
