israel shops for missiles - WE pay
When it comes to buying weapons with other people's money, for israel, too much is never enough.
In recent months Israel and the United States have discussed the possibility of an Israel acquiring the American-made missile defense system THAAD, instead of developing a new generation of the indigenous Arrow defense missile.
Israeli decision-makers will have to make up their minds in the coming year whether to commit to acquiring the American weapon system or invest in the development of a more advanced Arrow.
The American THAAD (Theater High-Altitude Area Defense), developed more than a decade ago, and whose mission is similar to that of the Arrow, failed in initial testing and the timetable for the completion of its development has been delayed on a number of occasions. However, in 2006 the system passed a number of critical tests, including the interception of targets simulating enemy missiles.
The system includes components and technologies that are not part of the current generation of the Arrow, which is in operational service with the Israel Air Force.
The United States will be able to provide Israel with THAAD missiles by 2009, at which time the maker of the system, Lockheed Martin, will have completed development and testing, Washington sources say.
The same sources added that Israel will be able to purchase THAAD with American military funding assistance, and have in its arsenal the same advanced missile system that will be used by U.S. armed forces.
However, the American missile system still suffers from a number of technological bugs that have not yet been resolved.
The discussions over the acquisition of the missile were held on the professional level, among experts in missile defense technologies. The final decision will be made by the political echelons.
That is, after AIPAC squeezes the maximum amount of benefits for israeli interests from our suckalong Congress.
American sources said that Israel's decision will have to be made "fairly soon."
Israel's dilemma revolves around both the costs of continuing the development of the Arrow system and issues of technological and operational independence.
When Ehud Barak was chief of staff, he opposed the development of the Arrow and the creation of the "Homa" anti-ballistic defense system, arguing that the cost of independent development was too high and that it would be wiser to acquire THAAD.
Rabin decided otherwisePrime minister Yitzhak Rabin decided otherwise, explaining that the Americans would only agree to transfer to Israel the advanced technologies included in THAAD if they are convinced that it can develop its own independent capabilities and compete with the American industry.
So, you see, it's not that they don't want free missiles.
It's just that they want to be able to sell the missiles freely for a profit afterwards. After all, that's what manufacturing weapons is all about, isn't it?
Besides, israel's ARROW system is "independent" in name only.
Funding for the development and production of the Arrow came mostly from American aid sources.
Some of the components of the missile are produced in the Boeing plants in Mississippi and Alabama, in cooperation with the prime contractor in the Arrow project, Israel Aircraft Industries.
In recent years, Congress voted in favor of significantly higher financial contributions to the Arrow project than originally requested by the administration.
Unbelievable!
Congress gives more money to israel than they've asked for!!!
Why not? THEY DON'T PAY - WE DO!
Production of the Arrow is continuing as planned, and preparations have been completed for holding another test in the near future.
At this stage there has been no significant effort to export the Arrow. In any case, American involvement in the Arrow's development limits Israel's ability to offer the system to various countries.
The presence of American technology in the missile allows the Defense Department to veto the transfer of technology to third countries.
To date, the U.S. has opposed efforts to export the Arrow to India, which expressed interest in the defensive system, and to other countries.
This opposition means that Israel has less available funding for the independent development of next generation Arrow missiles.
That's funny. That restriction doesn't appear to have impeded israel's weapons sales to India.
"India was Israel's biggest customer [in 2006] with purchases reaching $1.5 billion," Maj Gen. Yossi Ben-Hanan, head of SIBAT, the Foreign Defense Assistance and Defense Export Department at the defence ministry told The Jerusalem Post.
It included Israel's single largest sale to a foreign country made by the Israel Aircraft Industries in the sale of the Barak Naval anti-missile defense system, valued at some $450 million, Ben-Hanan told the daily.
Unperturbed by the US entry into the Indian market, the defence official said it would not make a dent in Israeli defence sales to New Delhi.
"America sells fighter jets, tanks and helicopters and we do not compete with them," Ben-Hanan said. On the contrary, he said, that it may even lead to an increase in procurement.
"We can for example sell the necessary accompanying systems that they will need alongside the larger US platforms," Ben-Hanan noted.
Defence Industries sources told PTI that despite certain speculations, the bilateral defence ties remain as strong as ever.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi and Navy vice-chief Vice-Admiral Venkat Bharathan, among others, visited Israel in 2006 to re-affirm the strong ties.
Joint R&D projects for more advanced radars, long endurance and high altitude UAVs, electronic warfare systems, third generation night fighting capabilities and such other areas are being explored for cooperation.
As per the sources, missiles and anti-missile defence systems however remain a priority area.
Breaking an all time record, the Israeli defense ministry announced on December 31 that its sales reached just over 4.4 billion USDs in 2006, placing it among the top five exporters, just behind the United States and England.
Now, you know not just WHY we fight, but WHO we fight for.
Over three-quarters of the total sales were to foreign countries and the Israel Defence Forces purchased the remaining."This is a great achievement. The world has put its faith in our industries through the deals it has signed with Israeli companies," Ben-Hanan said.
Israel also sold defence goods worth one billion dollars to the United States.
Un-flippin-believable!
American taxpayers fund manufacturing and then pay israelis a premium to buy it back!
Sound the alarm, people! Americans are being HAD on a grande scale!
... between Palestinians and Israelis as a fight between 2 equal sides.
Israel has one of the most powerful armies in the world, the most advanced weaponry, gets much of it for free, develops much on its own, is one of the biggest weapons exporters, making billions of dollars seeling weapons that it sometimes gets as aid, among others, etc etc. Not to mention has nukes.
The Palestinians, on the other hand, have been fighting mostly with rocks, homemade bombs, and little rockets built in the neighbour's basement out of scrap material. They're not allowed to export oranges, they're olive trees are torn down, and they're under sanctions by the world community.
Where's the fair in that?