Israeli victory over the Bekaa Valley. Prequel to Eleventh Hour Covenant
In preparation for the prequel to Eleventh Hour Covenant – Ambushed by History – I have revisited Israel’s stunning victory over the Bekaa Valley in 1982.
So devastating was this battle on the Soviet-supplied Syrian military, that they say the Soviet high command took it as a test case.
And, in this particular test, the politburo found that their tactics and weapons were portrayed to the world as highly inferior. To so great a degree, it is speculated, that this was the beginning of the end of the USSR.
Unique tactics and strategies of the IDF
Personally I do not believe that the defeat was so pivotal. Soviet finances were always an unknown quantity, and finances were the deciding factor.
However, I do not underestimate the shock in certain political quarters of such a stupendous military achievement.
For myself, it is in keeping with what I have always observed about the nation of Israel. Is it possible to quantify the hand of destiny by the historical record of the nation? If it were so, it would be in the stories of the unique tactics and strategies of the Israeli Defense Force.
One step ahead
Recently Israel has declassified that the IDF has been using an anti-tank weapon that has no parallel in any other military force.
They have used an outdated tank that has a dummy gun and an enormous turret full of anti-tank missiles for years, to hit the enemy hard at long-range.
Why was no-one aware of this?
Did the enemy not take note at what range its tanks were destroyed?
Did the enemy not examine its destroyed tanks that they recovered from the battlefield?
Obviously not, but there is a price to pay for this lack of professionalism.
Indigenous ingenuity
In 1982 Israel achieved something just as remarkable in neutralizing the Syrian air defenses.
The Israelis developed their own ‘booster stage’ to their anti-radar missiles so that they could launch additional volleys of missiles from the ground.
This saw the Syrian air defenses overwhelmed. It allowed the Israeli Air Force a free hand to destroy the Syrian Air Force and then destroy the Syrian missile batteries.
Designing an indigenous ‘booster stage’ for high-tech American missiles is remarkable. The fact that they used them successfully is even more so.
There is a story here: Prequel to Eleventh Hour Covenant
Some have said that the victory was so decisive that it has misled the world as to the potency of the modern generation of missile air defenses.
However, physical war is always fought in tandem with a propaganda war.
Could an air battle with ‘no’ losses have actually included one or two? Of course, the high command of today were the subordinates of yesterday which, in Israel, means, previous conflict.
Would you like to meet a pivotal character from Eleventh Hour Covenant
Experience a dramatic event in the career of Israeli general, Tuvia Alon?
Witness the making of an Israeli Air Force general, on one fateful day, in the Syrian-controlled Lebanese Bekaa Valley?
To download the complimentary prequel, Ambushed by History, please visit the Smashwords store today.
Honest Book Reviews
Image Credit
I would like to thank Derek Murphy of Creativindie for the cover design.
Aaron David Yeoman,
@AaronDYeoman