Operation Roaring Lion: Israel expands airlift in preparation for next stage

Operation Roaring Lion has been underway for ten days, and Israel has initiated a massive airlift to sustain the fight. Since March 2nd, the airlift has delivered over 1,000 tonnes of equipment, but it is far from over.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on March 9, 2026. 

Israel has flown more than 1,000 tonnes of weaponry, munitions, and equipment in an airlift that is now a week old. Starting on March 2nd, the Israeli MoD began airlifting the equipment in aiming to bolster the country’s strategic endurance. 

A March 2 press release explained that it was aimed at “ensuring uninterrupted operational readiness amid preparations for potential escalation across additional fronts.” Now, on the 9th, the Israeli MoD reports that approximately 50 aircraft have supported the airlift. 

It adds that the airlift is running in parallel with Operation Roaring Lion and preparations for the campaign’s next phase. Notably, the March press release states that the airlift is expected to scale up in the near future. This is at the direction of Defence Minister Israel Katz and Israeli MoD Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram.

It is also worth noting that another large delivery was reported on February 28 as part of Operation Roaring Lion. That press release covered a cargo ship that brought equipment like Humvees, trucks and more to Israel. It added that over 6,500 tonnes of munitions and equipment had been delivered in 90 flights and shipments in recent weeks. Those shipments were likely in preparation for the operation’s start. 

The whole operation is a joint affair, managed by: 

• The IMOD Mission to the United States
• The International Shipping Division of the Ministry’s Defense Procurement Directorate
• and the IDF’s Planning Directorate.

Calibre comment: What next for Operation Roaring Lion?

The IDF is clearly preparing for a prolonged campaign against Iran, which indicates a continued effort to dismantle the regime. Strikes have recently expanded to include the security apparatus, including police and IRGC facilities. At the same time, much of Iran’s existing military infrastructure has been damaged or reduced. This indicates that, at the very least, Israel will push to make sure Iran is much less of a threat for the next decade. Of course, Israel has also called for Iranians to overthrow the regime, but that appears unlikely as we have covered in a previous article. 

The shipments likely include a mixture of offensive and defensive weapons. Israel focuses on defending against missile and drone strikes, and hitting the archer. This usually means hitting the missile launchers before they can fire. However, it is also likely that Israel and the US have ‘hit the fletcher,” which goes further and targets Iran’s industry. 

Either way, the scale of shipments should indicate that Israel is preparing to see this war through. De-fanging Iran may be seen as a way to make Israel more secure for many years to come.

If you would like to read more of our analysis on Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, check out some of the articles below. It really helps us out, so thank you: 

• Three observations from Iran’s drone strike on RAF Akrotiri – Calibre Defence 
• Iris Dena: A Case Study in Modern Warfare – Calibre Defence 
• Iran expert: “Successful popular uprising unlikely” – Calibre Defence
• The Houthi Dilemma – will they join Iran’s conflict? – Calibre Defence

The lead image shows one of the airlift deliveries arriving in Israel. Credit: Israeli MoD.