Daniel Davis Deep Dive AF Combat Vet F-16 Pilot: What it Means to Strike Iran /Lt Col Daniel Davis & John Waters
Feb 25, 2026
John Waters, former USAF F-16 pilot with nearly 200 combat missions and Afterburn podcast host. He breaks down the scale of air assets in the region. He explains SEAD and Wild Weasel roles, challenges of Iran’s integrated air defenses, tanker and logistics limits, and how different fighters would be used in high-risk strikes.
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Iran's Air Defenses Are Networked And Mobile
- Iran's IAD is dense, mobile, and networked with systems like S-300/S‑400 capable of cooperative engagement and electronic protection.
- Mobility, cooperative blinking, and terrain concealment make locating and destroying batteries time-consuming and complex.
How A Wild Weasel Sortie Plays Out
- Waters describes SEAD formations splitting into elements where one element draws fire and another geolocates radars for HARM attack.
- He recounts using F-16 targeting pods to precisely cue 500–2000 lb bombs once a radar is located.
Lure, HARM, Then Precision Bombing
- Use layered tactics: lure radars to emit, geolocate emissions, then employ HARMs followed by precision munitions on radars and launchers.
- Combine F-16 targeting pods, HARMs, and follow-on 500–2000 lb bombs for effective SEAD.