Then again with all the money the US government owes to China you never know this might be a way to allieve the burden…

I think you are getting bogged down in a sustained air action. To disable, disrupt, or damage this program only requires effective attacks on specific and limited parts of the process.

Imagine WWII attacks on Germany’s ball bearing or oil refinerys. No fuel and the German Army became a horse drawn army. In this case, specific aspects of the program are more critical than others. This brings Iran to the table.

Iran and the Taliban are not friends so I highly doubt that becomes a factor and there is no where near the presence of US forces in Iraq as before. Besides its not like the new Iraqi government is in any hurry to get in bed with Iran anytime soon.

Iran’s Air Force has little if no offensive capability that can be sustained. SU-24s are the bulk of the capability. At best they could pull off some retaliatory “Doolittle Raid” for the homefront and then what? Its over. They flaunt this program but when its taken what could they possibly do?

Let’s not forget we are only about 18 months from massive protests within the country against the regime. I don’t think excursions stemming from their opposition to the world community will be popular on the homefront. Iran has as many internal threats as they do external.

Who would politically run to their aid to re-arm them? China? Russia? Not right away would they. Not a chance.

So what do you gents think it will take to pull off the operation?

Intel: Not 100% accurate but I do think you can identify key facilities crucial to the operation. Any destruction will delay the program by months or years plus the cost to the regime.

Political: Many nations will register their outrage whilst secretly expressing gratitude (see wikileaks)

Force Size: A strike package of F-15Is and F-16s in support loaded with dual warhead deep penetrating precision weapons. Package is supported by EW craft and SF units disabling specific facilities. Saudis report a violation of their airspace and conduct mock “scramble” in defense of its sovereign space? Or do they continue on to Bagram in Afghanistan and take the long way home?

Operation: Takes place at night where the decided advantage goes to the IASDF.

None of the three countries named use C-27J.
Poland is getting C-130E as a bigger transport.
Any of them can use the common NATO transport element of 3 C-17s stationed in Hungary, if they need heavy lifting.

I know they are not. But they are C-27J type target customers. I was using that as reference. And the fact that they have access to the NATO C-17 that they might have a need for an organic capability.

I am following this aircraft closely and could see it as a natural option for C-27J operators who are ready for a larger more modern aircraft. Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary are possible operators who should look at this.

Besides its dual role as a tanker I am curious to see how this plane will evolve for special mission variants. I like that Embrarer has a global support network in place to support this plane. I wonder what possible operators for Asia have been investigated?

If they are constructed using wood they may be hard to detect but it looks hard to weaponize this. The pilots are exposed. The wings are in water so you can’t hang anything below them.

Perhaps a suicide attack? I think an alert crew (espcially in a time of tension in the Gulf) could easily direct an automated or visual attack via CIWS on these and wipe them out.