Israel Enhances Long-Range Strike, Missile Defense For Next Iran War

BusinessAerospace & DefenseIsrael Enhances Long-Range Strike, Missile Defense For Next Iran WarByPaul Iddon,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist focused on Middle East affairs.Follow AuthorJun 03, 2026, 12:48pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus refueling tanker is seen after taking off from Ben Gurion Airport on March 8, 2026 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIn preparation for another round of fighting with Iran, which may well prove inevitable, Israel has steadily enhanced its already advanced long-range strike capabilities while rationing and ramping up production of its world-class, strategic anti-ballistic missile defenses. On May 27, Israel received its first new Boeing KC-46 aerial tanker, called “Gideon” in Israeli Air Force service, from the United States. It expects to receive at least six in the coming years. These new aircraft will replace Israel’s aging fleet of Boeing 707 “Re’em” tankers and, in the words of IAF chief Maj. Gen. Omer Tischler, provide “more fuel, more payload, further reach.” Israeli media reports on the aircraft’s arrival invariably highlighted that this new fleet of tankers will give the IAF greater leeway to strike its distant adversaries, reducing its reliance on U.S. support.“This delivery could be a game-changer in providing Israel with much greater independence, if it decided to strike the Islamic regime in Iran, the Houthis in Yemen, or any other potential distant adversaries in the future, even if some later U.S. administration were to oppose such a strike,” noted a Jerusalem Post article. When Israel launched its first large-scale air campaign against Iran in June 2025, Operation Rising Lion, it relied on its 707 fleet to refuel its fighter jets as they flew round-the-clock lon...