Glick: U.S. Could Suspend Arrow and THEL Collaboration with Israel
May 18, 2005 :: News
Caroline Glick writes in The Jerusalem Post that the U.S. has reportedly suspended its cooperation with Israel on the Arrow and Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) missile defense projects. Ms. Glick references an official source quoted by Middle East Newsline as saying of the pullback from military cooperation, “It’s all about China.”
Israel is the largest exporter of high-tech weapons to China. The Pentagon fears that China could, among other things, use its Israeli weapons against U.S. forces in a future Taiwan conflict. Glick notes that Israel should stop arming the Chinese or risk damaging its strategic relationship with the U.S. She also notes that by arming China, Israel is actually helping its regional enemies. China of course also exports weapons to Iran and Pakistan. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, China, Israel, Proliferation
» Missile system details for: Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL)
Syria Wants Russian S-400
February 9, 2005 :: News
Syria is negotiating the purchase of the Russian S-400 air and missile defense system, said to be comparable or superior to U.S. Patriot PAC-3 interceptors. Middle East Newsline quotes “Russian industry sources” as saying that Syrian President Bashar Assad sought to acquire the system during his recent visit to Moscow. “Assad is very interested in the S-400 and apparently Syria has the money to buy this,” an industry source is quoted as saying.
Recent news reports have confirmed that Russia will be deploying the S-400 for its own defenses in 2005. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Israel, Russia, Syria
» Missile system details for: S-400 (SA-20 Triumf)
Israeli Official Calls for Space-Based Defenses
January 12, 2005 :: Defense News :: News
Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Israel’s Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, recently called for his nation to expand its sea and space-based defenses against a number of forms of attack, reports Defense News. At a December 22 symposium, he urged in particular anti-satellite missiles, satellite-attacking lasers, and ship-based missiles. Israel’s “lack of ground territory—and our obligation to defend the homeland from attack—drives the need to develop a strategic envelope of air, sea and space forces not only for defense, but for attack.”
Steinitz’s proposals will not be well received by those arms controllers theologically opposed to the weaponization of space, but are in fact quite well founded. The importance of space in warfare has already been seen in the use of GPS and other satellite assets. In a war with another space-capable power, such as China, anti-satellite weapons would, it is plausible, be widely used on both sides. The defense of our assets in space is a simple necessity, and the basing of missile defense interceptors in space is simply essential to any effective strategic missile defense. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: High Energy Defenses, Israel, Space-Based Systems
Israel Deploying Patriot Interceptors in Haifa
December 6, 2004 :: Ha'aretz :: News
Israel yesterday deployed a Patriot air and missile defense battery was near Haifa Bay, weeks after Hezbollah had penetrated that airspace in northern Israel with an Iranian-built unmanned drone. (Article, Link)
» Nov. 12: Debka: Patriot apparently removed before overflight, yet could have destroyed Iranian drone
» More stories on: Iran, Israel
» Missile system details for: Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2)
Northrop Offers High Energy Laser to Army
November 1, 2004 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Northrop Grumman has offered the US Army a directed-energy laser weapon which could be ready within 18 months, reports Jane’s.
The weapon is termed the High Energy Laser for Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (HELRAM) defense system, which has been derived from its work on the U.S.-Israel joint work on the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL)—and perhaps also its work on the Airborne Laser (ABL). (Article, Link)
» More stories on: High Energy Defenses, Israel
India and Israel to Cooperate on Long Range Missiles
August 31, 2004 :: Spacewar.com :: News
India and Israel could cooperate to jointly produce a long range ballistic missile, according to an India’s chief military scientist Dr. V.K. Atre. “Wherever they have strengths, we want to jointly develop the missiles so that both countries can benefit and share designs, costs and risks,” Atre said at a news conference in Hyderabad. Discussions for the joint project are said to have begun in 2003.
India has already begun to acquire two Phalcon systems, which are used for early warning and detection of ballistic missile launches, such as those by Pakistan and China.
Another news report two days ago also quoted Atre as saying that India may begin work on missile defense systems, in which Israel also has much experience. (Article, Link)
» Israeli Missile Systems
» Israeli Missile Defense Systems
» Mar. 18: India buys Phalcon, Considers Israeli Arrow, U.S. Patriot, Russian S-300
» More stories on: India, Israel
Israeli Arrow Test Fails
August 26, 2004 :: BBC :: News
Although a test of the Arrow-2 interceptor on July 29 resulted in the successful destruction of an actual Scud-B missile, another attempt today showed the Arrow unable to destroy a target made to simulate the more sophisticated Iranian Shahab-3.
Chris Taylor, spokesman for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency which is jointly developing the Arrow with Israel, commented that “The engineers don’t yet know what happened.”
The test, the 13th Arrow intercept test and the eighth test of the complete weapon system, was against an air-launched target, dropped from a C-17 aircraft, made to simulate a missile similar to a threat Israel could face.
The target was dropped 360 miles west-northwest of San Nicolas Island, after which its booster ignited. The arrow Green Pine radar picked up the target, and the Arrow interceptor was launched from San Nicolas.
According to Israeli news sources, the test involved a missile with dual warheads, one actual and one “dummy,” and although the Arrow accurately discerned the actual warhead it failed to intercept it. (More »»»)
» MDA press release
» More stories on: Israel, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: Arrow
Arrow Interceptor Test Successful: Scud Destroyed
July 29, 2004 :: Ha'aretz :: News
The Arrow missile defense system, jointly developed by Israel and the United States, successfully intercepted an incoming Scud missile. Both missiles were fired from locations near Los Angeles, and the interception took place over the Pacific Ocean.
The test, described as both “realistic” and “crucial,” has been planned for two years. It marks the seventh test of the full Arrow system and the twelfth test of the Arrow interceptor. The Scud was launched from a U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center at Point Magu near Los Angeles. The Arrow system’s radar, called Green Pine, directed the interceptor to its target. Although an earlier report from the Indian Express said that the U.S. Defense Department refused to say where the Scud came from, Haaretz today claimed that the Scud was confiscated from Iraq. In the previous test, in December 2003, the Arrow intercepted a Black Sparrow missile, also produced by Israel.
The Arrow has been operational in Israel since 2000, and two batteries of the missiles are currently deployed, at Ein Shemer and Palmahim. A number of other countries, such as India, are considering purchasing one or more of various competing missile defense systems, including the Arrow, the American Patriot PAC-3, and the Russian S-300 and S-400.
Originally designed to protect against Iraqi Scuds and Al Hussein missiles, the future of the Arrow for Israel will likely be to defend against potential attacks by Iran’s Shahab-3. Iran on Monday threatened to wipe Israel “off the map” if either Israel or the United States attempted to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, Israel, Testing - American, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: Arrow
THEL Test Successful
May 6, 2004 :: Northrop Grumman :: News
The Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) successfully destroyed a rocket by means of a laser on May 4, reports its producer, Northrop Grumman in a press release today. The test is described as “history making,” because the rocket destroyed was “larger, faster and that flies higher than previous threats destroyed by the laser weapon demonstrator.” A previous test this past week succeeded in its primary goal of tracking the rocket but did not attempt to destroy it. The target rockets in both tests were 6 1/2 inches in diameter and 11 feet long.
The interception comes as part of a series of tests begun on April 29. These specific tests were of a mobile form of the laser, called MTHEL, which will be the first version deployable of the weapons system. THEL is a collaborative effort between Israel and the United States, often tested at White Sands, New Mexico.
In programs such as THEL, the speed of lasers permits rapid interception of both short range rockets with a short flight time, as in the case of Israel, but also the ability to destroy larger, even intercontinental ballistic missiles during their brief ascent, or boost phase. Whereas another land-based boostphase program, the Kinetic Energy Interceptor, must devise methods for the interceptor to achieve extremely high velocities in order to “catch up” with an enemy missile during a brief ascent window, lasers based on land or in space would permit much more comfortable reaction times. (Article, Link)
» April 30, 2004: Previous MTHEL test
» April 21, 2003: THEL selected by Army
» More stories on: High Energy Defenses, Israel, Testing - American, Testing - Foreign
» Missile system details for: Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL)
New Arrow II Missile Interceptors
May 4, 2004 :: Defense News :: News
A joint project between Boeing and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has begun to begin producing new missile interceptors for Israel’s Arrow II ballistic missile defense program. New deliveries are due in Israel by the end of 2004, where they will be assembled.
Arieh Herzog, director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, responded to criticisms about the threat posed to Israel, by noting that the threat from missiles will never quite return to nothing:
Obviously, events of the past year have brought us good news in terms of a diminished number of countries that can threaten Israel with ballistic missiles. But we have to remember that nothing moves backward. As long as the Americans are in Iraq, the threat is checked. But if the Americans leave, we don’t know what kind of regime will be there. Without American supervision, the Iraqi ballistic missile program and its capabilities could be quickly reconstituted.
(Article, Link)
» More stories on: Allies, Israel
» Missile system details for: Arrow
 |
| Total Records: 55 |
«
1
2
3
4
[5]
6
»
|
