Defense Ministry eyes possible lift of US ban on foreign sales of F-22 fighter
Mar. 29, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
The Defense Ministry will closely follow discussions in Congress next month over the United States' 2010 fiscal defense budget amid growing speculation that a ban on foreign sales of the stealth F-22 fighter jet may be lifted to keep the threatened production line alive.
Israel has in the past expressed interest in the fifth-generation aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, but has been unable to place an order due to a congressional ban on foreign exports. In addition to Israel, Japan and Australia have also expressed interest in the aircraft.
A single-seater and double engine aircraft, the F-22 achieves stealth though a combination of its shape, composite materials, color and other integrated systems and can fly in enemy airspace without being detected.
Israel has had its sights on the F-22 since its development began in the early 1990s. It is today the only 5th generation fighter jet fully operational with stealth capabilities and is called the "Raptor" by the US Air Force which operates squadrons out of Langley, Virginia, Florida and New Mexico.
The future of the F-22 program is in question, however, as officials in the Obama administration have hinted recently that the Pentagon may decide to shut down the production line due to its high cost - as much as $150 million a piece.
The proposed base budget for 2010 will be $534 billion and the Pentagon is working on preparing a list of which development programs it plans to phase out.
But Israeli defense officials said there was a possibility that in order to keep the program afloat, Congress may decide to permit the sale of the advanced jet to foreign countries such as Israel.
"If this happens we will definitely want to review the possibility of purchasing the F-22," explained a top military source. "In order to have strong deterrence and to win a conflict we need to have the best aircraft that exists."
The Defense Ministry and the Pentagon are currently in advanced negotiations ahead of the planned signing of a contract for the order of at least 25 Joint Strike Fighters, also known as the F-35. A number of top IAF pilots recently visited the US to fly in the JSF simulator and returned to Israel with positive impressions.
Defense officials would not say whether a decision in Congress on lifting the export ban on the F-22 would have an impact on Israel's decision on the JSF but said that the issue would need to be reviewed. It was possible that if the F-22 was opened for foreign sales that the IAF would decide to postpone the procurement of the JSF by a number of years, the officials said.
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1237727563436&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull
IAF might rush Iron Dome deployment
Mar. 29, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
Following the successful interception last week of mock Katyusha rockets, the air force is considering moving up the establishment of an Air Defense Battalion to operate the short-range Iron Dome missile defense system to the end of 2009. The battalion was initially slated for establishment in 2010.
The Iron Dome, under development by Rafael Defense Systems, is slated to become operational sometime in 2010 and to be capable of intercepting short-range Kassam and Katyusha rockets fired by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon.
The system was successfully tested last week and intercepted incoming rockets similar to Kassams and short-range Katyushas. The Iron Dome uses an advanced radar that locates and tracks the rocket that is then intercepted by a kinetic missile interceptor.
The new battalion will be part of the IAF's Air Defense Division, which operates the Arrow 2 defense system, and will also - at a later stage - operate the David's Sling which is being developed by Rafael and Raytheon to intercept medium-range enemy missiles.
Prototypes of the Iron Dome will likely be supplied to the new battalion in the coming months. The battalion will then commence training with the systems as well as formulating a doctrine for its operation.
Defense officials said that the hundreds of rockets that were fired into Israel during Operation Cast Lead in January assisted scientists from Rafael and the Defense Ministry's Mafat Defense Research and Development Directorate in improving the system.
"Usually these barrages are done in a computerized simulation which takes longer," a senior defense official explained. "The operation in Gaza and 800 rockets fired into Israel allowed the developers to make improvements to the system in faster." Earlier this month Brig.-Gen. Danny Gold, head of R&D at Mafat, said that work on the Iron Dome had reached its "final stage" and was running "ahead of schedule" at a tenth of the cost of similar defense systems.
The air force has also begun searching for locations along the Gaza border that will be used as bases for the system, which includes a launcher and radar system. After it completes the deployment of the system along the Gaza border, the IDF will begin deploying the system along the northern border with Lebanon.
This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1237727563430&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull
UAV
Report: Israel Used UAVs to Attack Missile Convoys in Sudan
Nisan 4, 5769, 29 March 09 10:34
by Yehudah Lev Kay UAV(IsraelNN.com) The London Sunday Times reported that the Israeli Air Force used Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) to carry out strikes on three Sudanese convoys carrying Iranian missiles destined for Hamas in Gaza. Sources also said that the convoys carried Fajr-3 missiles which have a range of 43 kilometers, capable of reaching Yavneh and Be’er Sheva.
According to “western diplomats”, Israel used Hermes 450 drones to carry out the attack. The planes, which operate out of the Palmachim air force base south of Tel Aviv, can remain in the air for 20 hours and fire two Hellfire missiles at ground targets. Some sources also claimed that Israel used the new Eitan UAV in the attack, which have a wingspan of 85 feet, comparable to that of a Boeing 737, and can remain in the air for 36 hours.
Defense sources told The Times that unmanned drones were used because of the nature of the targets. Whereas manned bombers could be used to attack a fixed target, UAVs are the ideal choice for a strike on a moving convoy. The drones can hover high in the air undetected for a long period of time until the ideal moment for an attack arrives.
The military sources also reported that the convoy was carrying an unspecified number of Iranian Fajr-3 missiles. “They build the Fajr in parts so it would be easy to smuggle them into Gaza, then reassemble them with Hamas experts who learned the job in Syrian and Iran,” one source said. Although the sources told The Times that the missiles could hit Tel Aviv and Israel’s nuclear facility in Dimona, traditional Fajr-3 missiles have an operational range of 43 kilometers, which would only reach as far north as Yavneh and as far east as Be’er Sheva.
CBS News first reported on the aerial strikes last week after which ABC News reported that Israel had carried out three separate strikes in January and February against missile convoys in Sudan which were headed for Gaza. The reports indicated that 39 people were killed in the attacks. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted that Israel was indeed responsible for the bombings when he stated, “We operate in every area where terrorist infrastructures can be struck,” and added, “There is no point in elaborating. Everyone can use their imagination. Whoever needs to know, knows.”
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