Iranian Air Force pilots bombed US bases without GPS, says general

Deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), Brigadier General Masoud Jafari, said on Thursday that Iranian pilots successfully bombed US bases in Qatar and Kuwait on March 2 without using GPS or INS, relying instead on map reading and basic navigation techniques.

Speaking about the operation against the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which typically houses 10,000 US service members, Jafari noted that Iranian pilots have become accustomed to operating under sanctions. "Our Air Force pilots have learned to fly missions without GPS or INS, relying instead on map reading and basic navigation techniques," he said. He added that the aircraft emitted no signals whatsoever, not even radio transmissions or any other electronic emissions, which he described as a trump card.

Jafari also mentioned that in the early days of the US-Israeli aggression, the enemies probably never imagined that the Iran Air Force would have the courage to carry out such a mission. He further said that the US air defense network went on alert when the US base in Kuwait came under attack, causing the downing of three American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets by Kuwaiti friendly fire.

The mission against the al-Udeid Air Base was launched by four pilots aboard Su-24 fighters from the Martyr Dowran Air Base in Shiraz. The body of one of the pilots, Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, returned home recently, but the fate of the other three remains unknown.

According to Mehr News Agency, these operations were part of Iran's response to the ongoing war on Gaza and the US-Israeli aggression. The report did not provide further details on the extent of damage or casualties at the targeted bases.