Lebanon Invasion: What Chance Does Hezbollah Have With No Air Superiority?

The Israeli military machine is currently conducting a “limited” ground and air invasion of Lebanon, and their target is the terrorist group backed by Iran, Hezbollah. The Israeli Defence Force is a formidable force with unparalleled control over the skies and air superiority. What hope can Hezbollah have when it has zero control over satellites, fighter jets, bombers, helicopters, drones and smart missiles?

The Israel military said the invasion involves paratroopers and commandos from the elite 98th division, which was deployed to the north two weeks ago from Gaza

Air superiority is the dealmaker in any modern conflict, and many terrorist organisations do not have the capabilities for such methods of conflict apart from firing dumb home-made missiles indiscriminately at the enemy. ISIS was destroyed in Syria by this same technique.

There are however a few limitations to air superiority, and that is its ability to indefinitely hold a captured or cleared territory, therefore air superiority must be supplemented by a ground force to secure the ground after the initial air operation has targeted the specific targets needed for victory.

News on the ground is that Hezbollah were planning an October 7 Hamas-style terrorist act on Israeli settlements situated over the Lebanese southern border. The current IDF operation is designed to neutralise this impending threat.

The Arab and Persian world meanwhile is standing aside and watching. The problem with Israel’s current invasion is that their actions could inflame tensions within the Muslim world further and could be the precursor to escalation of the current situation. As Israel stamps its authority on air superiority over the region, the Hezbollah terrorist group members can only hide in their underground tunnels, which are also susceptible to bunker buster missiles.