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MAY ISRAEL AVOID PREEMPTIVE SURRENDER IN 2009

By Not Agreeing To Self-Destruction as per Orders from the US and the Left.

 

Northrop Grumman Announces the FIRESTRIKE Laser, World's First Weaponized Solid-State Laser for U.S. Military Services
(Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.; issued November 13, 2008)
www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?session=dae.42838613.1226767996.Lq5men8AAAEAAHRT19AAAAAH&cat=3&prod=99698&modele=release

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation today introduced the
FIRESTRIKE laser, a ruggedized, high-energy, solid-state laser designed as a
line replaceable unit (LRU) for battlefield applications, ready for order
now.

The FIRESTRIKE laser offers warfighters a 15 kilowatt (kW) fieldable laser
as well as a combinable LRU building block for much higher power, based on a
laser beam combining architecture validated by Northrop Grumman over many
years with the Joint High Power Solid State Laser program, Vesta and Vesta
II.

"We are ready to deliver on the promise of defense at the speed of light
with FIRESTRIKE,'' said Dan Wildt, vice president of Directed Energy Systems
for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "The FIRESTRIKE laser power
per cubic foot has been greatly enhanced from its successful laboratory
predecessors.''

He noted the FIRESTRIKE laser has been hardened for military uses but also
was designed with life-cycle costs and reliability in mind. "FIRESTRIKE is
designed for field operations and simple replacement,'' Wildt added.

"This is a rugged electric laser with power levels, beam quality and runtime
suitable for offensive and defensive military utility. Also available is a
newly-designed laser current source assembly (LCSA), which is compact, and
specifically developed to precisely meet FIRESTRIKE's power needs. Combined
with advanced electro optical and/or infrared sensors, the FIRESTRIKE laser
can provide self-defense, precision strike and enhanced situational
awareness capabilities.''

The FIRESTRIKE laser is a line replaceable system that allows for scaling a
laser weapon to desired power levels for specific warfighting applications
and platforms. Northrop Grumman believes that FIRESTRIKE laser will form the
backbone of future laser weapon systems.


Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company
whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions
in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to
government and commercial customers worldwide.


FIRESTRIKE Laser Features:
-- Power: 15kW laser
-- Beam Quality: Nominally 1.5 times the diffraction limit
-- Size:
*Laser head - 12" x 23" x 40' (width, depth, height)
*Current source - 9" x 13" x 30"
-- Runtime: Continuous, as long as power and coolant are provided
-- Instant Turn-on: Zero to full power in less than 1/2 second
-- Safety: Remote operation, customer interlock access, internal safety
sensors
-- Control: Common Command and Control (C2) systems and Ethernet interfaces
-- Low Power Setting: Provides nominally 100 watt alignment beam
-- Weight: 400 lbs per LRU
-- Ruggedization: Hardened LRUs with compact SSL technology engineered for
mobility and field operations

=====================

Monday, November 17, 2008

Update: Budget dispute keeps proven Israeli anti-missile and anti-mortar system in mothballs

The 18 November midnight Israel Radio news bulletin included a statement from the IDF that the "Halo" system described in the report below "is used for surveillance and the collection of information and not for firing rockets. Its use has been studied for a number of years and these days the IDF is carrying out professional deliberations concerning the desirability of the system and its abilities as compared to alternatives." According to the Hebrew wikipedia, the "Halo" system uses a 32 meter balloon positioned 1,000 meters in the air equipped with a special imaging camera and radar to pick up suspicious movement and facilitate rapid response. ----- Budget dispute keeps proven Israeli anti-missile and anti-mortar system in mothballs Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 17 November 2008 Israel Radio's South Correspondent Nissim Keinan reported on Israel Radio's early evening news magazine (around 17:45) today that a dispute between two land arms of the IDF is preventing the operation of a system to destroy Qassams and mortars - the cutting edge of defense technology. "The system is not operated in the Gaza envelope area even though the defense system purchased it as an intermediate solution until the introduction to the field of the Iron Dome system. The system was purchased for around $4 million which includes sophisticated radar and a rocket launching system that can identify any suspicious movement by terrorists and destroy them within second from the sky along with their launchers. The system was tried for the first time in September with great success. According to the performance data, the system succeeds in destroying or preventing some 80% of the firing of Qassam rockets and up to 100% of Grad and mortar firing. The more complicated Grad and mortar launching systems are such that by the time they are set up to launch they are already destroyed from the sky. Without revealing confidential details, the system was developed in Israel and the army, that purchased it, has yet to train soldiers to operate it due to a dispute over the miniscule sum of an 8 - 10 million shekel annual fee. Because of this dispute the system is not in operation. The dispute is over what budget should fund the operation of the system: the budget of the South Command or the Land Forces Command. Minister of Defense Ehud Barak declined to discuss the system when asked during his visit to Sderot but said that the matter would be resolved soon. . The civilian company that developed the equipment has submitted to the army an offer to operate the system. The system could already be running tomorrow morning after the purchase of the required rockets at a cost of 16.9 million shekel.This system can operate around the clock in all weather and visual conditions covering large areas." So far this report has not received much attention in Israel. The assassination of an Israeli mobster has pushed most of the news aside. Keinan's report is somewhat vague in that it cites two different costs: 8-10 million shekel annual operating cost and 16.9 million shekel for rockets. In any case, the total cost involved is only a fraction of what is being poured into reinforcing buildings in the Gaza envelope. ============== Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis) (Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava) Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730 INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il   ==========   Monday, November 17, 2008 Iran Underlines Defensive Nature of New 2,000 km Missile News number: 870827156520:05 | 2008-11-17Defence http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8708271565   TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran said Monday that its new ground-to-ground missile was purely defensive and posed no threat to any country. Iran announced on November 12 that it had successfully test-fired a new medium-range missile with a range of 2,000 km, an achievement that military analysts believe marks a significant jump in Iran's missile industry and technology. "Our missile potential in general and the new missile in particular are just for defensive and preventive purposes and no threat to any country," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told reporters in Tehran. "But whenever we make such tests, there are various reactions which are however irrelevant," he said in dismissing concerns voiced in some Western countries. Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran, to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and a fighter plane. But Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes. "This missile test was conducted within the framework of a defensive, deterrent strategy ... and specifically with defensive objectives," Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mustafa Mohammad Najjar said, adding it had no connection with recent international events. Najjar said that Sejjil had been manufactured at the Iranian Aerospace department of the Defense Ministry. The missile, a two-stage solid-fuel system known as Sejjil, was launched from a site in western Iran near the Iraq border towards a target 800 km away. "This missile is a two-stage weapon with two combined solid-fuel engines and has an extraordinary high capability," Najjar said. The minister further hailed the launch of the Sejjil missile as "very fast", adding that it would be easy to produce. "This is a whole new missile," Uzi Rubin, former director of Israel's Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, told Jane's . "Unlike other Iranian missiles, the Sejjil bears no resemblance to any North Korean, Russian, Chinese or Pakistani (missile technology). It demonstrates a significant leap in Iran's missile capabilities. "This missile places Iran in the realm of multiple-stage missiles, which means that they are on the way to having intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities," he added. Video released by Iranian tv clearly shows a two-stage missile with a guidance system on the second stage and a triconic re-entry vehicle identical to that of the Shahab-3. However, the Sejjil's diameter appears greater than the 1.25 m of the Shahab. The new missile utilizes composite solid-propellant fuel and unlike the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), which is launched only vertically, the Sejjil could be launched at a variable angle. Iran's latest missile test followed intensified threats of military action by US and Israel against Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West claims form part of a covert weapons program, but has not proof to substantiate its allegations. Tehran vehemently denies the charge. Military analysts believe that Sejjil shows the Islamic Republic's capability to defend its soil. Solid fuel missiles are more accurate than the liquid fuel missiles of a similar range currently possessed by Iran. Tim Ripley, an analyst at Jane's Defense Weekly, said, "Two stages could increase a missile's range." Prior to the Wednesday test, Iran's missile capability was measured by its medium-range ballistic missile known as the Shahab-3, which means "shooting star" in Farsi, with a range of at least 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) which was improved and promoted to 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) in 2005. Iran's Shahab-3 missile has been known to use liquid fuel. Missiles using liquid fuel are less accurate. The latest missile test came a day after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) test-fired another missile called Samen near the Iraqi border. Iran has said it would respond to any attack by targeting US interests and America's staunch ally Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for world oil supplies. Tehran test-fired nine missiles in July, including one which could reach Israel and US bases in the Middle East. Last week, Iran's military said US helicopters had been seen flying close to Iran's border and that it would respond to any violation. It followed a cross-border raid last month by US forces into Syria, a move that was condemned by Damascus and Tehran. The US attack on the Syrian village of Sukkariyah on October 26, has raised speculation about the likelihood of a US unilateral strike on the Islamic Republic. Speculations that Israel could also bomb Iran mounted after a big Israeli air drill in June. In the first week of June, 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters reportedly took part in an exercise over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which was interpreted as a dress rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear installations. Both Washington and Tel Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear warheads. Iran has, in return, warned that it would target Israel and its worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv. Iran has also warned that in case of an attack by either the US or Israel, it will target 32 American bases in the Middle East and close the strategic Strait of Hormoz. An estimated 40 percent of the world's oil supply passes through the waterway. In a Sep. 11 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy says that in the two decades since the Iran-Iraq War, the Islamic Republic has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare against larger naval forces. According to the report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy (IRGCN) has been transformed into a highly motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in control of the world's oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz. The study says that if Washington takes military action against the Islamic Republic, the scale of Iran's response would likely be proportional to the scale of the damage inflicted on Iranian assets. Meantime, a recent study by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a prestigious American think tank, has found that a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities "is unlikely" to delay the country's program. Intensified threats by Tel Aviv and Washington of military action against Iran contradict a recent report by 16 US intelligence bodies which endorsed the civilian nature of Iran's nuclear plans and activities. Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar reports by the IAEA head - one in November and the other one in February - which praised Iran's truthfulness about key aspects of its past nuclear activities and announced settlement of outstanding issues with Tehran, any effort to impose further sanctions or launch military attack on Iran seems to be completely irrational. The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, praised Iran's cooperation in clearing up all of the past questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran's nuclear program. Website: http://www.imra.org.il