IAF Release Footage Of Precision Strikes : 'Use of specific weaponry is more expensive and complex, but we wanted to hit our targets with precision,' says IAF official.

Eighty-one percent of bombs deployed by the Air Force (IAF) during Operation Cast Lead were 'smart bombs', a senior IAF official said Sunday during a roundup of the force's operations during the Gaza offensive.

According to the official, the number of smart bombs used in Gaza was more than double the number used during the Second Lebanon War.

"The use of specific weaponry is more expensive and more complex, but it was clear to us that we want to hit our targets with precision – and nothing else," he explained.

Future scenarios were also brought under discussion during the debate. "When we consider a future conflict with Hizbullah or Syria, we need to take into account that bases will be bombing targets," the official said.

"They have a bigger range of missiles than Hamas, and we must prepare ourselves both physically and mentally for this."

The IAF has stressed its successful cooperation with ground forces during the Gaza offensive, claiming it contributed much to the operational achievements. Approval for air sorties actually came from brigade

commanders belonging to ground forces. IAF officers also reported unprecedented cooperation with ground troops, which made efficient use of combat helicopters and UAVs.

Another aspect reviewed by the IAF is the extensive use of unmanned aircraft, used among other things for providing up-to-date field intelligence to infantry troops. "We used the UAVs in ways that hadn't been fully tried before, in complex weather conditions and in very low altitudes," the officer said.