Force Design for Operation "Mole Cricket 19" (1973-1982)

ABSTRACT: The intelligence surprise and the operational failure during the Yom Kippur War in countering the SAM threat brought about a conceptual revolution in the IAF and new operational-level capabilities. These innovations were applied nine years later during the First Lebanon War as part of Operation "Mole Cricket 19" in which the Syrian SAM array was destroyed in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. This paper explains the components of the changes in force design: the organization of command and control, improvement of , operational training and exercises, development of innovative military equipment, and more. Finkel presents the keys to the success of the change, which include rapid and extremely flexible experimentation, procurement and collaboration. The capability was developed with fledgling technology, for example digital computers in aircraft. The understanding that they were dealing with a strategic problem, alongside organizational patience and procedural flexibility for almost a decade, allowed the IAF to develop and implement a revolution in aerial warfare.

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