Uptill now there has been lot of big  stuffs like f-16,f-15,su-30,j-10,mig-29,S-300 . No doubt all of these would be required in real numbers for a real fight.

      But now let us come to some smaller stuffs --NITTY-GRITTY.

         For any pre-emptive strike ,important  prequisite would be the political/military will for the action, this is one part where Israel has never been found wanting as evidenced by its previous record notable example being its bombing of orisak nuclear reactor in iraq in 1981 and also recently an attack on a upcoming syrian nuclear site. Instances are galore where israel has shown this aspect.
                          
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/washington/14weapons.html

 uptill now we have been repeatedly hearing about  this so called reports  of Israel, planning of attacking iranian nuclear reactor for quite a long time, uptill now this has not materialised, then where lies the hitch probably in two important factors-

1)Geography/logistics
2) Geo-strategic-political factors.

       1) geography/logistics--

             http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/israel_bordering_states_pol_1970.jpg

         only one needs to look at map  leave alone actually implementing it, the inherent difficulties in implementing it,  and also logically one may give any number of reasons justifying it but realistically  as far any nation  allowing its territory to be used to attack any other nation is not a done thing easily .
    
2)Geo-strategic-Polictical factors-

                          One among the important  reason it is believed that Israel will attack iranian reactors is its past record especially the Orisak  in 1981, there is lot of expectation and also possibly preparation by the IDF to undertake similar mission, but geo-strategic situation  in that region has changed a lot since 1981, in 1981 it was bi-polar world with two super-powers USA and USSR  and any action be it political or military action by USA had to factor a response from USSR,  and also  USA precense in 1981 in middle-east was very minimal barring its precense in iran of which it had to vacate in 1979 after Shah of iran was overthrown, and USA citizens were held hostage in iran,  USA developed sudden antipaty to Iran and it started tacitly supporting Iraq  in Iran-iraq war , then Israel at that point of time could not count on any body not even USA to stop iraq from acquiring nuclear weapons and had to virtually go alone on orisak.
 
     In 1981 IAF overflew Jordan/Saudi-arabia aerospace without thier consent and attacked orisak and got away with it because at that point of time  neither jordan nor saudi-arabian air-power did not amount to much, but that is not the case now, both now jordanian airforce with f-16/mirage-2000 and saudi-airforce f-15/tornado /awacs/ are no push overs.

                       But now thanks to operation desert-shield/storm  after iraq invasion of kuwait in 1991, military operation against taliban in afganistan  in  2001   and operation iraqi freedom in 2003  USA military has its precense in almost in most of the places in middle east-  Iraq, saudi-arabi,.kuwait, quatar, UAE, Baharain, afghanistan, pakistan, Turkey--virtually surrounding Iran.

                  If at all any nation best placed to taken on iran would be USA and as far as the relation between USA-iran is concerned there is definitely not much love lost between iran and USA,but only draw back is USA is already fighting  a two wars, one in iraq and another in afganistan, with a burgeoning  defence expenditure, and usa economy still in the woods  and change in guard in  USA with DUBYA(Bush) who started the other two wars(Afghanistan and Iraq) giving way to Obama even USA taking out the iranian reactors are slim.


               So in conclusion  untill unless iran does something really stupid like Saddam did when he invaded kuwait or presently there are reports that North Korea was responsible for sinking south korean warship thus may give good enough pretext for USA/South korea to take out North Korean nuclear facility--  if not then the world may have to possibly learn to live with a nuclear iran , just like world has learned to live with a nuclear Israel, pakistan, india and  North korea though both North Korea and iran are signatory of NPT(Non proliferation treaty) .  

Last Edited By: MOSHEDAYAN May 26 10 6:29 AM. Edited 6 times.