US military website reveals secret system used by Israel in its raids on the port of Hodeidah in Yemen

An American website revealed a secret system used by Israel in its raids targeting the city of Hodeidah in western Yemen. It said that these strikes "aimed to weaken the capabilities of the Houthis and send a clear warning to Iran."

According to the American military website War Zone in a report - translated by "Yemeni Youth Net" - Israel used a secret remote vision system on board the Israeli 707 refueling plane in a long-range raid on Yemen, indicating that the old Boeing 707 aircraft of the Israeli Air Force played a major role in the strike mission, which was described as "the longest range in decades."

The Israeli military released a video showing parts of the long-range strike mission carried out in Yemen on Sunday. The footage confirms that F-35I Adir stealth jets as well as F-15C/D fighters took part in the attacks, part of an intensified campaign by Israel against the Iranian-backed Houthis, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

According to the report, the video provides the best (if not the only) view yet of the unknown remote vision system used on the Israeli Air Force's Boeing 707, seen during F-35 refueling over the Red Sea.

Footage From the Refueling Aircraft on the Way to Strike Houthi Military Targets in Yemen

The Israeli Air Force's refueling aircraft have been operating in all arenas in the war, providing fighter jets with flexibility in strikes and aerial operations at any distance.

Yesterday… pic.twitter.com/o8TRNAtC8l

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) September 30, 2024

The Israeli Air Force's refueling aircraft operate in all theaters of war, providing fighter jets with flexibility in strikes and air operations at any distance.

The video released by the Israeli military shows aerial refueling operations as part of the strike against infrastructure in Yemen. The clip begins with an Israeli Air Force 707 taking off, including views from the flight deck, and then the refueling aircraft flies in formation with F-35s.

Part of the Saudi Arabian coast, including the city of Al-Humaidah, can also be seen from the aircraft's perspective. As for the F-35, it appears to carry exclusively internal ammunition and is not equipped with the Luneburg radar-reflecting lenses that eliminate the stealth aircraft's radar-evading features.

Of particular interest, the site said, is the 707's remote vision system, which the crane operator uses to see what's happening at the back of the plane while the crane is attached to the receiving aircraft.

“We had a previous look at the remote vision system screen in July of this year when a 707 supported F-35s in another long-range Israeli air force strike over Yemen. But on that occasion, the video was just from the camera feed itself, not from the aircraft interface that controls the system,” he added.

Here's what you need to know Read more here: pic.twitter.com/YUul4bCMVs

— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) August 25, 2024

Essentially, the equipment used in the Israeli 707 is a much older version of the technology now used in the U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 Pegasus. However, in this newer application, the complex remote vision system has proven to be a particular source of problems.

In addition to air-to-air refueling, the 707 used in the Yemen raid likely served as a command and control station and communications node. The aircraft is equipped with a satellite communications suite that ensures critical, secure beyond-line-of-sight communications with appropriately equipped tactical aircraft such as F-15s and F-16s and remote command centers.

This is especially important in long-range strike operations, where the 707 helps enable real-time remote command and control, enhanced situational awareness, intelligence sharing and other functions.

In this way, targeting information can be shared, for example, between all aircraft on the active network and can be exchanged with command centres and other aircraft over large distances.

The report stated that their number does not exceed seven aircraft, as they are considered very valuable assets for the Israeli Air Force. They provide long-range strike capabilities that have allowed Israel to reach long distances to pursue high-priority targets since the 1980s.

He said these aircraft would likely be a crucial player even in a limited air operation against Iran, not only in terms of fuel savings, but also in terms of communication and command and control capabilities.

The report also noted that other interesting details about the recent raid on Yemen were provided in other videos and photos published by the Israeli occupation army.

Another video released by the Israeli military revealed details of the preparations being made by an Israeli air strike package consisting of F-15C/D aircraft, known locally as Baz, which were seen taking off from their base in Tel Nof, central Israel, apparently heading to Yemen.

These valuable fighters, which have a dual air defense and attack role, are seen equipped with compatible fuel tanks and loaded with 2,204-pound SPICE 1000 precision-guided bombs, as well as AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, and Elta 8222 self-escorting electronic warfare pods. Also visible in the video are the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions, although they are not seen mounted on the jets.

Interestingly, according to the report, one of the aircraft involved in the strikes on Yemen was a two-seat F-15D, serial number 957, which infamously collided in mid-air with an A-4 Skyhawk in May 1983. Despite losing almost its entire right wing, the fighter landed safely, was repaired, and has been in front-line service with the Israeli Air Force ever since.

According to the Israeli military, “dozens” of aircraft took part in Sunday’s airstrikes on Yemen, which the Israeli military says is its longest combat mission since a 1985 raid on the Palestine Liberation Organization headquarters in Tunis — a mission that also involved F-15s. According to the Israeli air force, its planes flew 1,120 miles to attack Houthi targets.

In addition to one or more 707s, these “dozens” of IAF aircraft would have included attack and escort packages of F-35s and F-15s and a variety of intelligence-gathering assets, likely including some airborne early warning, control and signals intelligence platforms based on the Gulfstream commercial airframe. The latest of these is the Nachshon Oron, a multi-mission intelligence-gathering aircraft.

In an unusual move, the Israeli military flew CNN journalist Nick Robertson on a Boeing 707 during Sunday’s mission. During the flight, an Israeli military spokesman said the strikes were in response to three long-range missiles fired by the Houthis at Israel over the past two weeks; all of those missiles were intercepted near Tel Aviv, the spokesman said.

According to the report, Israel's long-range strike mission on Sunday against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen appeared to be aimed not only at degrading the Houthi militants' ability to attack Israel, but also as a very clear warning to Iran not to get more deeply involved.