Tired but proud, IAF traffic controller describes unprecedented Iranian drone strike

• Published date: 14 April 2024
• Author: ELIAV BREUER
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"Grandma and Grandpa were drafted for the mission," A. said, explaining that the kids lived at the grandparents' house for several months

"This is the complexity of life here in our land, our routine versus our operations, and this also characterizes the ATC," A. said.

According to A., the ATC takes part in all different missions related to the IAF, but the most important is the defense of Israeli airspace, including building a picture of what is going on, identifying each threat, directing relevant forces, and operating firepower.

She compared the unit's work to that of the game Rush Hour, where players need to move vehicle pieces around on a grid to free a specific red car with the minimum number of moves.

The ATC has several possibilities and moves, and they need to apply them simultaneously to many moving parts, including ground forces, aerial forces, and others, all to strike down the threat with the minimum possible moves.

On Saturday night, this was the unit that managed the war zone, and there was no airborne force that did not go through the ATC center, A. said.

Working throughout the night to tackle the historic event

"Last night was very focused," but throughout the war, the unit has been involved in aerial attacks, intelligence collection, and evacuations, as well as coordinating training flights and civilian flights.

Dozens...