The enemy facility was built deep inside a heavily fortified mountain, designed to withstand conventional missile strikes. A standard cruise missile or even a bunker-buster dropped from high altitude might not have penetrated the reinforced structure effectively—especially without direct guidance.
2. Radar Jamming & Defenses
The area was protected by advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and GPS jamming technology, making long-range targeting difficult. Missiles rely on GPS or laser guidance, both of which could be disrupted in that canyon environment. A missile flying in alone would likely have been detected and shot down before hitting the target.
3. Political and Strategic Constraints
The film makes it clear the mission had to be plausibly deniable. A missile strike—especially one launched from a U.S. warship or strategic bomber—would be unmistakably American, potentially escalating into a larger conflict. Using fighter jets in a risky, low-level mission gave the military plausible deniability if anything went wrong.
4. It’s a Movie—And They Wanted a Thrilling Mission
Let’s be honest: watching a missile get launched from 500 miles away wouldn’t have made for a high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat aerial combat movie. The trench run, dogfights, and extreme flying were direct homages to Star Wars and classic fighter-pilot films.
So in short: the defenses were too strong, the target too fortified, and the mission too sensitive. Plus, it gave us some of the most adrenaline-pumping aerial scenes ever filmed.
Want to break down the mission like a real military analyst? I’d be happy to!