An Israeli airstrike on August 28, 2025, killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, Defence Minister Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi, and its Army Chief of Staff, Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, along with several other senior officials during a meeting in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. The information about Army Chief Karim al-Ghamari is not yet confirmed. They all had gathered to listen to a televised speech by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. It seems 10 or more missiles were fired on three targeted sites. According to some sources, the operation was conducted by both the Israel Air Force and the Israel Navy. It was an improvement upon ‘Operation Rising Lion’, carried out by Israel in June 2025, which led to the elimination of Iranian military leadership. Israel is showing an immaculate use of high technology, dovetailed into war-making.
The airstrike had hit three compound sites, where senior Houthi figures, including the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Army Chief, were gathered for a meeting. The air strike was facilitated by pinpointed real-time information from its high-tech spy aircraft. Thus, along with al-Rahawi, reports indicated that at least nine other ministers were killed. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated that the strike was a response to ongoing missile and drone attacks by the Houthis on Israel.
Israel used high-tech spy aircraft called Eitam G550, which is equipped with sophisticated devices to intercept and analyse mobile communications over a given area and pass it on to the control centre. This aircraft is also known as ‘Flying Mossad’
This operation was a grand display of advanced technology in target acquisition and real-time dissemination of information to the control HQ. Israel used high-tech spy aircraft called Eitam G550, which is equipped with sophisticated devices to intercept and analyse mobile communications over a given area and pass it on to the control centre. This aircraft is also known as ‘Flying Mossad’.
It may be noted that Mossad had collated information on mobiles of Houthi leadership and their communication system through human intel from its ground operatives. Eitam G550 intercepted the information on the intended meeting of the Houthis’ leadership and venue. On getting real-time information, two F-35s were deputed to carry out the air strike, which was done with precision accuracy. This was a fine display of the use of high-tech gadgetry.
Armies would no longer go rushing across the borders. Concentrated forces would be easy targets to be picked up by ‘Eyes in the Sky’ and then eliminated. Brute force tactics are as redundant as they were when guns appeared on the battlefield to replace swords and spears
It was a replication of the use of high technology similar to “exploding pagers and mobiles”, as was done to destroy Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon, a few months back. It was repeated in Qatar (Doha) a few days back, on September 13, 2025, to destroy Hamas leadership. It shows that Israel is far advanced in technology to achieve maximum results with minimum inputs. It is its technological superiority that keeps its enemies on tenterhooks.
It is the ‘Brain Force War’, where emotional surcharge or ‘Jazwa’ or even ‘Physical Raw Courage’ were redundant traits of ‘old soldiering’. Modern war, or its emerging form, is no longer “the charge of the Light Brigade”. Armies would no longer go rushing across the borders or enemy territory. Concentrated forces would be easy targets to be picked up by satellites and other means of ‘Eyes in the Sky’ and then eliminated before even the twitching of eyelashes. Brute force tactics are as redundant as they were when guns appeared on the battlefield to replace swords and spears. Welcome to the Sixth or even Seventh generation of warfare, real or artificial brains would call the shots!
India must review spending huge funds on outdated and outmoded weapons of the 20th century, such as tanks, fighter aircraft, and aircraft carriers. It must begin conserving and deflecting meagre funds for the high-tech warfare of the future
It is a lesson for India to invest more in such high technology than wasting funds on ‘dud’ means of warfare of the last century. Manpower, heavy armies and their elephantine weapons were just sitting ducks for high-tech armies. They are cannon fodder of high-tech weapon systems like Saddam Hussein’s ‘non-tech army’ in 2003, when the USA invaded Iraq. Saddam’s manpower-heavy army collapsed in just 60 hours.
Twenty-two years later, the technology of 2003 seems primitive, as shown by Israel and also Operation Sindoor. India ought to review expending huge funds on outdated and outmoded weapons of war of the 20th century, such as tanks, fighter aircraft, and aircraft carriers. It must begin conserving and deflecting meagre funds for the high-tech warfare of the future. AI, Radars, UGS, A2/AD systems and Brain Force Soldiers would take care of your borders/LoC. A high-tech force would be needed for your internal security to deal with ‘irregular soldiers’ of your enemy. Future armed forces would not be for ‘territory grabbing’ or what the Nazis called ‘Lebensraum’, but killing machines for the total annihilation of the adversary. Wars will be more monstrous than one can even imagine.
-An ex-NDA and Wellington Staff College graduate, Col Rajinder Singh is a renowned author and security analyst. He has authored four books, two individually and two in collaboration. His best-selling books are Kashmir – A Different Perspective and The ULFA Insurgency. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
