by David Bedein
Jerusalem - Israel has been urged to prepare for ballistic missile threats from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
A senior defense executive warned that Israel’s military and Defense Ministry might not have been allowed to prepare its missile defense umbrella to combat possible future threats from Middle East states, which are not directly threatening Israel at this time, due to political constraints.
The executive, who works closely with the Defense Ministry, said the threat could come from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which have been developing or procuring medium- and intermediate-range missiles.
“We are not paying attention to what is going on in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey,” Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) vice president Yair Ramati said.
Mr. Ramati, who for years headed IAI’s Arrow missile defense program, cited Turkey’s growing missile and rocket capabilities.
He said Ankara has been acquiring U.S. and Chinese systems as well as developing Turkish weapons.
This included the Chinese-origin 302 mm rocket, with a range of 150 kilometers.
The Israel Defense Ministry has never cited Egypt or Turkey as threats. Egypt has maintained a peace treaty with Israel since 1979, and Turkey was regarded as a strategic ally of the Jewish state from 1996 until 2008. Over the last year, Turkey increased ties with neighboring Iran and Syria.
In a presentation to the International Aerospace Conference and Exhibition-Israel on Nov. 17, Mr. Ramati said Egypt and other Arab states could constitute missile threats by 2020. He said Saudi Arabia, concerned over Iran’s military modernization effort, was expected to replace its Chinese-origin intermediate-range CSSS2 for an advanced modern ballistic missile.
Yet, leading strategists in Israel forget that Saudi Arabia remains in a state of war with Israel. Saudi Arabia is the only neighboring country contiguous to Israel to have never signed a peace treaty or even an armistice with Israel since 1948.
Mr. Ramati stated clearly that Israeli missile defense exercises do not take the Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish capabilities into account.
He suggested that the Defense Ministry and military were under political constraints from the government.
“Are these scenarios politically correct?” Mr. Ramati asked.
View the original article in the Philadelphia Bulletin
Showing posts with label Israel Aeospace Industries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel Aeospace Industries. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Philadelphia Bulletin: First Israeli Espionage Plane Lands in India
by David Bedein
Five years after the deal was signed between Israel and India, the first Israeli Phalcon plane landed on Monday in India. This is the first plane out of three that Israel sold to India in a deal whose value is estimated at $1.1 billion.
The plane took off for India from an Israeli military base.
The second Phalcon plane is expected to arrive in India in the course of the coming number of weeks. The third plane is slated to be delivered in 2010. India has thus become the first country in southern Asia to possess a plane with AWACS (airborne warning and control system) installed.
The Phalcon plane is a Russian-made Ilyushin-76 plane that Israel fitted with a variety of Israel Aerospace Industries-made electronic systems. The original Phalcon deal was signed with China, but was canceled in response to an American demand.
View this story in the Philadelphia Bulletin
View this story at Israel Behind the News
Five years after the deal was signed between Israel and India, the first Israeli Phalcon plane landed on Monday in India. This is the first plane out of three that Israel sold to India in a deal whose value is estimated at $1.1 billion.
The plane took off for India from an Israeli military base.
The second Phalcon plane is expected to arrive in India in the course of the coming number of weeks. The third plane is slated to be delivered in 2010. India has thus become the first country in southern Asia to possess a plane with AWACS (airborne warning and control system) installed.
The Phalcon plane is a Russian-made Ilyushin-76 plane that Israel fitted with a variety of Israel Aerospace Industries-made electronic systems. The original Phalcon deal was signed with China, but was canceled in response to an American demand.
View this story in the Philadelphia Bulletin
View this story at Israel Behind the News
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Philadelphia Bulletin: Obama Administration Hampers Israeli F-35 Purchase
by David Bedein
The Obama administration has begun imposing obstacles on Israeli efforts to procure American-built jet fighters.
According to Middle East Newsline, Obama administration sources said the White House has drafted measures that could prevent Israel from procuring fighters, such as the stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
They said the administration plans to require Israel to obtain special permission from the Defense Department and State Department before acquiring the JSF.
“The measures would make it more difficult for non-NATO allies to acquire JSF,” a source said.
Under the proposals, the Pentagon would order modifications of the JSF to provide the aircraft with nuclear strike capabilities. The sources said such a capability would provide the Pentagon with access to money to maintain and develop the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
“Once JSF obtains nuclear strike capability, there becomes a problem with exports,” the source said. “NATO countries would have less of a problem; non-NATO countries would need special exemptions.”
The sources said Lockheed Martin would not be instructed to develop both nuclear- and non-nuclear models of the F-35 for the first stage of production. Israel has sought to become among the first export clients of JSF.
Over the last few months, the administration has rejected a series of Israeli requests regarding modifications of the F-35. They included Israeli electronic warfare systems and acquisition of U.S. software codes that would allow Israel to repair the aircraft's central computer. The U.S. refusal meant that the Israel Air Force would be forced to send the F-35 to the United States for any repairs, a process that could take months.
The administration has also been resisting Israeli requests for technical data on the new F-15SE (Silent Eagle) fighter. The sources said the State Department has been delaying Israeli requests for pre-export licenses required to examine the next generation F-15, which incorporates certain stealth characteristics.
The sources said the administration has not approved the new F-15 for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. They said this could prevent Israel from using U.S. military aid to purchase the aircraft from Boeing.
“This is a legal issue,” a source said. “The F-15SE might not qualify for FMS.”
See this story in the Philadelphia Bulletin
See this story at Israel Behind the News
The Obama administration has begun imposing obstacles on Israeli efforts to procure American-built jet fighters.
According to Middle East Newsline, Obama administration sources said the White House has drafted measures that could prevent Israel from procuring fighters, such as the stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
They said the administration plans to require Israel to obtain special permission from the Defense Department and State Department before acquiring the JSF.
“The measures would make it more difficult for non-NATO allies to acquire JSF,” a source said.
Under the proposals, the Pentagon would order modifications of the JSF to provide the aircraft with nuclear strike capabilities. The sources said such a capability would provide the Pentagon with access to money to maintain and develop the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
“Once JSF obtains nuclear strike capability, there becomes a problem with exports,” the source said. “NATO countries would have less of a problem; non-NATO countries would need special exemptions.”
The sources said Lockheed Martin would not be instructed to develop both nuclear- and non-nuclear models of the F-35 for the first stage of production. Israel has sought to become among the first export clients of JSF.
Over the last few months, the administration has rejected a series of Israeli requests regarding modifications of the F-35. They included Israeli electronic warfare systems and acquisition of U.S. software codes that would allow Israel to repair the aircraft's central computer. The U.S. refusal meant that the Israel Air Force would be forced to send the F-35 to the United States for any repairs, a process that could take months.
The administration has also been resisting Israeli requests for technical data on the new F-15SE (Silent Eagle) fighter. The sources said the State Department has been delaying Israeli requests for pre-export licenses required to examine the next generation F-15, which incorporates certain stealth characteristics.
The sources said the administration has not approved the new F-15 for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. They said this could prevent Israel from using U.S. military aid to purchase the aircraft from Boeing.
“This is a legal issue,” a source said. “The F-15SE might not qualify for FMS.”
See this story in the Philadelphia Bulletin
See this story at Israel Behind the News
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