Israel Military developments

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Israel says Mideast not ready for nuclear arms ban

17/09/09

JERUSALEM — Israel's defense minister says the Mideast is too unruly for a region-wide nuclear arms ban.

Ehud Barak also says Iran's nuclear program is a threat to world peace. His comments come ahead of a U.S.-sponsored world meeting later this month to discourage nuclear proliferation.

Israel believes Iran is working to attain nuclear weapons — a charge Tehran denies. Israel is widely assumed to have a nuclear arsenal, although it refuses to confirm or deny it.

Barak's comments were published Thursday in the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot.

Asked if Israel would sign on to a treaty for a nuclear-free Mideast, Barak said that "until the Muslim world from Marakesh to Bangladesh behaves like Western Europe, there can be no debate on nuclear disarmament."


The Associated Press: Israel says Mideast not ready for nuclear arms ban
 

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Israel Aerospace Industries wins contract to supply aircraft self-protection systems

Thu, Sep 17, 2009

ELTA Systems Ltd., a group and wholly owned subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has been awarded a contract to supply its self-protection systems, Flight Guard, for commercial planes in Israel.

Contracts for various customers in Israel and abroad for the self-protection systems are estimated to be valued at tens of millions of dollars, over period of years. This is the only system to be tested and authorized by the Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA).

ELTA has been developing, producing, and supplying aircraft self-protection systems for many years. In 2005, a version of "Flight Guard" was authorized by the ICAA, following two years of in-depth inspections, flight tests, and licensing examinations. With over 200 military, civilian, and VIP aircraft in more than 15 countries worldwide currently flying with the protection of the ELTA system, the operational efficiency of the system has been successfully proven.

The system includes a Missile Approach Warning System, which rapidly scans for potential threats in the area surrounding the aircraft, and raises an alert only when it detects a direct threat to the aircraft.

Upon detection of a direct threat, a jamming system immediately deploys decoy flares to steer any threatening heat-seeking missiles away from the aircraft and toward the decoy flares. The system has the lowest false alarm rate, and is easy to install and operational on various kinds of aircraft.

In Israel, the self-protection system was chosen for its particular effectiveness during takeoff and landing, when the aircraft is most vulnerable to threats from the ground. Other self-protection systems, based on different sensors, suffer from false alarms.

The "Flight Guard" system will be delivered within one year to the customer. Additional orders for the system are expected upon completion of the current order.

http://www.defenseworld.net/go/defensenews.jsp?id=3598
 

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srael Fears More Mumbai - Like Attacks In India Soon

September 17, 2009

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will warn its citizens to avoid India after receiving a "pinpoint" intelligence tip-off that Pakistani militants may carry out a series of attacks there in the coming weeks, Israeli television reported on Thursday.

Citing a leaked copy of the travel advisory due out on Friday, Channel Two said the alleged militants had al Qaeda links and planned to target both Western and Jewish tourists in attacks similar to last year's attacks in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, which oversees Israel's spy services, had no immediate comment on the report.

India is a popular destination for Israeli holidaymakers, especially during Jewish festivals such as the traditional new year, which begins on Friday night.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/09/17/world/international-us-security-india-israel.html?_r=1
 

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Israel Finds Strength in Its Missile Defenses

Saturday, September 19, 2009

ASHKELON, Israel -- As it pushes for international action against Iran's nuclear program, Israel is steadily assembling one of the world's most advanced missile defense systems, a multi-layered collection of weapons meant to guard against a variety of threats, including the shorter-range Grads used to strike Israeli towns like this one and intercontinental rocketsThe effort, partly financed by the United States and incorporating advanced American radar and other technology, has been progressing quietly for two decades. But Israeli defense and other analysts say it has now reached a level of maturity that could begin changing the nature of strategic decisions in the region. Centered on the Arrow 2 antimissile system, which has been deployed, the project is being extended to include a longer-range Arrow 3, the David's Sling interceptor designed to hit lower- and slower-flying cruise missiles, and the Iron Dome system intended to destroy Grads, Katyushas, Qassams and other shorter-range projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.

With the Arrow system in operation and the Iron Dome due for deployment next year, Israel "has something to stabilize the situation: the knowledge that an attack will fail," said Uzi Rubin, a private defense consultant who ran Israel's missile shield program in the 1990s. Iran, he said, now cannot be assured of a successful first strike against Israel, while groups such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon may find one of their favored tactics undermined.

Advances in Iran's rocket technology, coupled with its nuclear program, are chief concerns of the United States and Europe, as well as of Israel and other Middle Eastern countries. Alongside diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear research, missile defense programs have been designed with that country in mind.

The Obama administration decided this week to scrap a Bush-era plan to deploy a longer-range-missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland, and said it would move toward a more intermediate system that better matches its assessment of Iran's capabilities.

In Israel, the issue is considered a top foreign policy priority. There have been varying Israeli assessments about Iran's progress toward a nuclear weapon: The head of the Mossad intelligence agency told a parliament committee over the summer that Iran may be five years away from acquiring an atom bomb, but the head of military intelligence has said it could happen by the end of this year.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, sees Iran's program as an imminent danger. It "is something that threatens Israel and threatens the region and threatens the peace of the world," he said during a recent visit to Germany. "There is not much time."

A recent unannounced trip by Netanyahu to Russia was thought by some Israeli analysts to be linked to the broad set of issues regarding Iran, including Russia's possible sale of advanced antiaircraft missiles to Tehran and the likelihood that Israel will strike Iran's nuclear facilities if the United States and Europe cannot find another solution.

But the steady growth of Israel's missile defenses sheds a different light on the country's military doctrine and sense of vulnerability.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said this week that he did not consider Iran's nuclear program an "existential issue" because "Israel is strong." Part of that strength lies in its nuclear capabilities -- never acknowledged but widely presumed to exist -- and part in the assumption that the United States would stand behind Israel if it came under attack. But it also rests in the calculation that enough of the country's air bases and other military facilities would survive a first strike to retaliate effectively.

The sort of deterrence -- guaranteed retaliation -- that the United States and then-Soviet Union once achieved by deploying nuclear warheads in submarines and keeping bombers aloft is what Israel is striving for through its antimissile systems.

Iran "is radical, but radical does not mean irrational," Rubin, the defense consultant, said. "They want to change the world, not commit suicide."

Israel's program had its origins in the 1980s and grew out of concern about Syria's suspected acquisition of chemical weapons. It took on added urgency in the 1991 Persian Gulf War, when nearly 40 Iraqi Scud missiles hit the Tel Aviv area.The Arrow was deployed in 2000, and Israel and the United States have since conducted a joint, biennial missile defense exercise, called Juniper Cobra, to work on integrating the weapons, radars and other systems of the two countries. Israel, for example, has the advanced U.S. X-Band radar stationed in the Negev desert. Israeli defense industry officials say the country also has almost real-time access to some U.S. satellite data, an important part of its early-warning system.

The next joint exercise is scheduled for October.

As concern shifted to the threat of long-range missiles from Iran -- the countries are about 700 miles apart at the closest point, well within the known range of Iranian missiles -- it also focused on the shorter-range weapons that Hezbollah and Hamas have turned on Israel in the past few years.

The rockets fired by Hezbollah at northern Israel during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war led Israeli officials to accelerate work on a short-range-missile defense system, as did recent Grad strikes against Ashkelon, a Mediterranean city of about 120,000 people and the site of major electricity, desalinization and other facilities.

As it stands, "we have no defenses, no shelters, no public buildings being protected," said Alan Marcus, the city's director of strategic planning and architect of a plan developed to cope with the about 80 missile strikes since 2006.

"What do we do? Close the beach and tell people there might be a missile attack?" Marcus said.

Beginning next year, Israeli officials say, the Iron Dome system should provide some relief. The mobile launchers initially will be placed around towns and facilities near the Gaza Strip, but they ultimately may be deployed in locations nationwide.

The system has sparked some controversy. It has not, for example, proved effective against mortar shells and could leave the towns closest to the border areas vulnerable, including chief targets such as Sderot. Critics have pushed for other systems, including a chemical-laser one that Israel was jointly developing with the United States, or the rapid-fire Phalanx guns that can be used to protect key facilities such as power plants.

There is also concern that militant groups could try to overwhelm the system by firing large barrages of comparatively cheap, homemade Qassams -- perhaps not expecting to do damage so much as forcing Israel to spend tens of thousands of dollars a shot to knock them down.

But Israeli officials say systems such as Iron Dome are crucial to the country's military planning -- in terms of preventing damage and diminishing the need to retaliate.

Although many of the rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah land on empty land, "one of these times one of the Qassams will hit a bus, and then the government will have to make a decision" about how to react, said Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces. "There is a bigger issue here than how much it costs. It is going to give us some answers."

Israel's Missile Defense System Is Progressing Steadily - washingtonpost.com
 

youngindian

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U.S. ships anti-missile systems to Israel

Sept. 22, 2009

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. Navy warships have begun arriving in Israel for joint missile defense exercises next month, and the Jerusalem Post reports that officials believe some systems may remain in the Jewish state to strengthen its defense shield against feared Iranian missile attacks.

Meantime, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a former general who is the country's most decorated soldier, was scheduled to fly to Washington for discussions with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the Iranian threat.

The talks will include the role Israel will play in the revised U.S. missile defense plans announced by the administration of President Barack Obama earlier this month.

This involves scrapping plans to deploy anti-ballistic interceptors and radars in Poland and the Czech Republic, and switching to naval-based defenses in the Mediterranean and the North Seas instead.

There has been speculation that some systems may be based in Israel, where advanced U.S. X-band radar was deployed in the southern Negev desert in 2008.

The Jerusalem Post said that one possibility was that U.S. Navy Aegis warships armed with SM3 Standard missile interceptors would be deployed in the Mediterranean and Red seas north and south of Israel.

It is not clear whether there is any linkage between such moves and what appears to be growing pressure by Israel for military action against Iran to knock out its controversial nuclear program and strategic military targets, such as ballistic missile sites.

A unilateral pre-emptive Israeli strike would almost certainly trigger an Iranian missile attack on the Jewish state, and the heavier Israel's defenses are the greater its chances of destroying incoming missile salvoes.

The Obama administration is committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, but Tehran has declared it is not prepared to abandon its uranium enrichment program, the key element in producing nuclear weapons.

Israel's military planners fear that the window of opportunity is closing for a possible strike against Iran before it can build up its air-defense system or, in the worst case, acquire nuclear arms.

The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in an Aug. 19 report that Iran's growing arsenal of ballistic missiles armed with conventional high-explosive warheads pose a danger to Israel's cities rather than its military centers.

According to Jane's Missiles & Rockets, "The report sees few practical uses for the (missile) force other than to threaten cities. Deploying (non-nuclear) ballistic missiles against military targets would require a number likely to be beyond Iran's current inventory."

However, Uzi Rubin, the former director of Israel's missile defense program, warned earlier in August that Iran's missile technology was more advanced than that of North Korea despite international sanctions that restrict the transfer of missile technology to the Islamic Republic.

This was underlined by Iran's successful test in May of the Sajjil 2 ballistic missile, the first to use solid rather than liquid fuel, and capable of carrying a 450-pound warhead 1,540 miles.

Even so, the Americans have said that one of the reasons they have revised the Bush-era Ballistic Missile Defense program, designed to protect the United States and Western Europe against Iranian missiles, was the belief that the more imminent threat from Iran was its medium-range missiles rather than its efforts to develop an intercontinental missile.

By redeploying U.S. interceptors in the Middle East to counter the existing Iranian threat, the Obama administration is hoping that it will bolster its influence with Israel, and the Arab states that also feel threatened by Iran, and thereby head off a conflict that could engulf the entire Middle East.

U.S. ships anti-missile systems to Israel - UPI.com
 

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Israel launches diplomatic, legal struggle against UN Gaza report

JERUSALEM, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Up until the day on which UN report on Israel's military operation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip last winter was published, some Israeli senior government officials still believed they could simply ignore the report and "bury" it.

But now, Israelis realized they have to take aggressive action against the report, with the central goal of preventing a hearing on the topic in the UN Security Council.

Teams of legal experts in the various government ministries as well as in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) have already begun planning for the possibility that the report's conclusions will be translated into hearings in international and European courts.

For Israelis, the UN General Assembly now ongoing in New York provides another chance.

PUBLIC RELATION BLITZ

In contrast to the initial decision by Israel not to cooperate with the UN investigation mission and not to present testimony before it, in recent days awareness is growing that Israel must act with all its diplomatic might against the mission with the intent of denying its legitimacy.

The UN mission led by Judge Richard Goldstone said in a report last week that the mission has found evidence that both Israeli and the Palestinian forces committed "war crimes" during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza from Dec. 27, 2008 to Jan. 182009.

The report, using large pages describing behaviors of Israeli army, reads that the military operation in Gaza was directed against the citizens of Gaza generally, in order to advance a general policy whose goal was to punish the Gazan population and to carry out an intentional policy of utilizing non-proportional force against the civilian population.

According to officials from Israeli government and local media reports, throughout the past several days, Israeli leaders and ministers have held marathon talks with leaders and diplomats worldwide. Israel's ambassadors have also been enlisted to run a massive campaign to ensure that the report will not be sent for discussion in the UN Security Council.

A senior official in Israeli Foreign Ministry who declined to give his name said "the activity is being carried out in two circles. The primary circle is toward the 47 states that are members of the UN Human Rights Commission, except for those like Libya and Sudan which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. The second circle is toward the states that are members of the UN Security Council."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have talked with many of their counterparts worldwide, including the United States, Russia and European countries, before they travelled to New York for the UN General Assembly.

According to officials from their offices, Netanyahu spoke with some more senior world figures in New York on Tuesday, and Lieberman is expected to raise the topic with some 15 foreign ministers during his visit to the UN. While Barak, said an official in his chamber, intends to publish a chain of articles against the report in the American press.

Netanyahu will also speak at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, with the Gaza report one of his topics, along with the Iran issue and regional peace process, local daily The Jerusalem Post quoted the Prime Minister's Office as saying.

The UN Human Rights Commission was set to convene on Sept. 29. A senior Israeli official with the Foreign Ministry said in anonymous condition that Israel is already acting to convince six countries, which are members of the Security Council, to oppose in advance the scheduling of any hearing in the Security Council on the report.

The last resort of Israel, according to the officials in Foreign Ministry, is to request that the Americans use their veto power.

LEGAL ARENA

Israel is also concerned about the transfer of the report to the legal arena, either at the International Human Rights Court at Hague or at the European courts, which are likely to hold hearings against Israeli officers and politicians involved in the operation.

Preparations, said officials in various departments who insist anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter, are being made.

Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz has put out a list of instructions to aid people in avoiding being tried. The security establishment in Israel is also already preparing for the possibility of providing legal defense for officers and politicians who could have complaints filed against them in European courts.

A senior official with the Foreign Ministry said "beyond the Israeli desire to deny the legitimacy of the commission, Israel is also trying to pass a message that this is an orderly country that has laws and courts and that can investigate itself without assistance from the UN or other countries."

In light of that, it was announced on Monday that the IDF Judge Advocate Gen. Avichai Mendelblit passed onward 20 probes that the IDF conducted following the military operation in Gaza, in which there was a suspicion of criminal offenses carried out by soldiers and officers.

One of the ideas currently being considered in Israeli diplomatic policymaking circles is to appoint a special legal commission, which will work together with the IDF and will determine the boundaries of military action in accordance with the international law and global ethical standards.

Within the Israeli political establishment, the name of former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak has been raised as someone who could serve as chairman of the commission.

Ben Dror Yemini, an Israeli journalist and a diplomatic affairs author, who is working to advance the idea, said that "Israel is in the midst of a problem. There is no choice but to establish an investigative commission led by someone who has international recognition in legal circles. Aharon Barak is the person who meets that need."

Israel launches diplomatic, legal struggle against UN Gaza report_English_Xinhua
 

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Israel welcomes Russian stand on Iran sanctions

JERUSALEM — A senior Israeli official welcomes steps by Russia toward endorsing additional sanctions against Iran as a way of stopping its nuclear program.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev opened the door to a firm international stand against Iran.

Ayalon told The Associated Press on Thursday that Russia's new stand "may be the day that marks the beginning of the United Nations and the people gathering together to stop the Iranians."

Israel and the U.S. believe Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies that.

Israel considers Iran a strategic threat because of its nuclear program, long-range missile development and repeated references by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Israel's destruction.

The Associated Press: Israel welcomes Russian stand on Iran sanctions
 

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Israel tells US, time to act on Iran

9/27/2009

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging the U.S. to take action over a newly revealed Iranian nuclear facility.

An official in his office says the Israeli leader expressed his views in a phone conversation with American lawmakers.

Netanyahu spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a number of unidentified U.S. senators and told them that now is the time to act on Iran. Israel maintains the Islamic republic is seeking nuclear weapons.

The official quoted Netanyahu as saying to the U.S. lawmakers "If not now then when?" He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak with the media.

He did not disclose what kind of action Netanyahu recommend be taken.

Earlier Saturday, Israel's foreign minister told Israel Radio the Iranian uranium enrichment facility proves "without a doubt" the Islamic republic is pursuing nuclear weapons.

9&10 News: Israel tells US, time to act on Iran
 

RPK

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Israel Takes Delivery of 2 German-Built U212 Subs IDRW.ORG

Israel Takes Delivery of 2 German-Built U212 Subs

Israel has taken delivery of two German-built submarines, a military spokesman said Sept. 29. “We have received two Dolphin-class submarines,” he said on condition of anonymity. The submarines, called U212s, can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads, although when it confirmed the sale in 2006 the German government said the two vessels were not equipped to carry nuclear weapons.

Delivery was initially expected in 2010. Including the new subs, Israel has five German submarines – the most expensive weapon platforms in Israel’s arsenal. Germany, which believes it has a historic responsibility to help Israel because of the Holocaust, donated the first two submarines after the 1991 Gulf War. It split the cost of the third. According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, the U212s are designed for a crew of 35, have a range of 2,810 miles and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

Israeli media have written that the Dolphin submarine could be key in any attack on Iran’s controversial nuclear sites. An Israeli submarine recently used the Suez Canal for the first time in June, escorted by Egyptian navy vessels, in what Israeli media said was intended as a message to Iran. Widely considered the Middle East’s sole, if undeclared, nuclear power, Israel suspects Iran of trying to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program, a charge Tehran denies
 

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Israeli jets bomb Gaza targets in retaliation
AFP 3 October 2009, 06:15pm IST

GAZA CITY: Israeli jets early on Saturday bombed several targets across the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in response to militant rocket fire, the army and Palestinian witnesses said.

A military spokesman said planes targeted a building used for manufacturing rockets on the outskirts of Gaza City as well as two smuggling tunnels linking the south of the impoverished enclave to Egypt.

No casualties were reported in the strikes, witnesses said. The attacks came after Palestinian militants fired a rocket and a mortar shell against southern Israel yesterday, the spokesman said, also without causing casualties.

Israeli jets bomb Gaza targets in retaliation - Middle East - World - NEWS - The Times of India
 

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'Israel hands Kremlin list of Russians helping Iran build nukes

04/10/2009

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Moscow a list of Russian scientists Israel believes are helping Iran in its quest to build nuclear weapons, the London Times reported on Saturday.

According to the report, Netanyahu delivered the list when he paid a secret, undisclosed trip to Moscow last month.

The Times report quotes a source as saying that Netanyahu presented "concrete evidence" Russians are helping Iran build the bomb, and that Israel kept the list private in order to spare Moscow political embarrassment. Advertisement


The article quotes David Albright a former weapons inspector and the president of the Institute for Science and International Security as saying that "there has been Russian help. It is not the government, it is individuals, at least one helping Iran on weaponization activities and it is worrisome."

The article adds that western leaders have treated the latest claims with caution, with American and British officials saying that the age of freelance Russian scientists is over.

The Times adds that officials in Jerusalem insist that any Russian scientists working in Iran could only do so with the approval of the Kremlin.

The publication of the report comes just days after Iran and six world powers put nuclear talks back on track at a landmark session in Geneva that included the highest-level bilateral contact with the U.S. in years.

While Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, the U.S. and key allies contend it is covertly trying to build a nuclear weapon.

American officials in Geneva told Haaretz on Thursday that the U.S. will press Iran and not allow it to stall long enough to develop a nuclear program.

The talks on Tehran's nuclear ambitions are being held between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain - plus Germany.

The negotiations ended with a number of resolutions, primarily the decision to have another round of talks later this month.

'Israel hands Kremlin list of Russians helping Iran build nukes' - Haaretz - Israel News
 

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Maj. Gen. Benny Ganz Appointed as IDF Deputy Chief of the General Staff
ISRAEL - 1 October 2009

On Thursday (Oct. 1), Maj. Gen. Benny Ganz was appointed as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Deputy Chief of the General Staff, replacing Maj. Gen. Dan Harel who has held the position for the past two years and is now retiring from his military career after 35 years of service. The ceremony took place in the offices of the Chief of the General Staff and was attended by the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, and the families of Maj. Gen. Harel and Maj. Gen. Ganz.

During the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Dan Harel commented on the position he held for the past two years: "I've had a fascinating two years in a multi-faceted position of great influence on the IDF, both in the long and short terms. We were able to produce a trend of moving forward and aiming for operational achievements. We are now counting three years of putting the lessons learnt from the Second Lebanon War into effect, and I see the extensive changes in all aspects: reserve and regular forces, training, exercises, instruction, and more. These changes created cultural and organizational modifications within the IDF, a change of atmosphere and a sense of operational capability; these changes by now are widespread throughout the IDF. Today, we are a more professional, strong and stable army." At the end of his speech, Maj. Gen. Dan Harel expressed his confidence in his successor: "I am leaving with a great feeling of satisfaction and am certain that you will be able to lead the state of Israel through rough waters to a safe coast."

The newly appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Benny Ganz, thanked the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff for their faith in him, and said: "I have inherited a system that is well-organized, clearly directed and that puts an emphasis on small details. We will continue to take care of important issues professionally and from the bottom-up, we will do what is expected of us, while maintaining good cooperation and support."

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, thanked the exiting deputy, Maj. Gen. Harel and said: "Dan stood behind many important processes in the IDF, he is determined, opinionated and uncompromising and took on his position in an exceptional manner, exceeding all expectations."

Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi congratulated his newly appointed deputy and said "In light of the various positions you have filled in the past, including those in the IDF Headquarters, I'm certain that you will take this position forward… We face many challenges from outside and from within and there is no doubt that you will receive the utmost cooperation from all of us, and that together we will continue to strengthen the military, by manning, training, and equipping it, as well as by operating it."

The Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, wished Maj. Gen. Ganz success, and thanked the exiting Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Dan Harel, who in the past served as his Military Secretary, saying that "Dan has brought far-reaching results and left his mark deep in the IDF. As a talented, methodical, and thorough officer, he taught us lessons in work ethic and good spirits."

Maj. Gen. Dan Harel – Curriculum Vitae

Maj. Gen. Dan Harel was born in Israel in 1955. In 1974 he was recruited to the IDF and joined the Israel Air Force. In 1976 he moved to the Artillery Corps where he filled various positions, including senior guidance positions at the Field Artillery School in Shivta.

In 1990 he was appointed as the commander of a reserves artillery battalion and the commander of the Lebanese Border Artillery Formation, before being appointed as commander of a regular artillery battalion in the IDF Northern Command.

In 1993 he was appointed as head of the operations Department in the General Staff.
In 1995 he was appointed as Chief Artillery Officer of the IDF.
In 1998 he was appointed as Military Secretary to the Minister of Defense.
In 2000 he was appointed as a commander of an armored division in the IDF Northern Command.
In 2001 he was appointed as Head of the IDF Operations Branch.
In 2003 he was appointed as GOC of the IDF Southern Command.
In 2006 he was appointed as the IDF Military Attach in the United States.
In 2007 he was appointed as Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
In 2009 he concluded his job as Deputy Chief of Staff and retired from the IDF.

Maj. Gen. Harel holds a Bachelors degree with honors in Political Science from the Haifa University and is a graduate of the Progressive Artillery officer's course in the US Army and a graduate of the IDF Brigade Commanders Course.

Major Harel is married and is a father of one son and two daughters.

Maj. Gen. Benny Ganz – Curriculum Vitae

Maj. Gen Benny Ganz, born 1959, recruited to the IDF in 1977 and joined the Paratroopers Brigade.
In 1979, he graduated from the IDF Officers School and was positioned as company commander and later platoon commander in the Paratrooper Brigade.

In 1987 he was appointed as commander of the Ef'a Battalion in the Paratroppers Brigade.
In 1989 he was appointed as commander of the Shaldag Unit in the Israeli Air Force.
In 1992 he was appointed as commander of the Paratroopers Brigade Reserve Unit.
In 1994 he was appointed as commander of the Judea Brigade in the Judea and Samaria Division.
In 1995 he was appointed as commander of the Paratroopers Brigade.
In 1997 he left for an academic break in the United States.
In 1998, he was appointed as commander of a reserve division in the Northern Command.
In 1999 he was appointed as commander of the Liaison Unit with Lebanon.
In 2000 he was appointed as commander of the Judea and Samaria Division.
In 2002 he was appointed as GOC of the IDF Northern Command.
In 2005 he was appointed as commander of the IDF Ground Forces Command.
In 2007 he was appointed as the IDF Military Attach in the United States.

Maj. Gen. Ganz is a graduate of the Command and Staff College and the National Security College, holds a Bachelors degree in History from the Tel Aviv University, a Masters degree in Political Science from the Haifa University and another Masters degree in Management of National Resources from the NDU university in the United States.

Maj. Gen. Ganz is married and is a father of four.


Source: Israel Defense Forces
 

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Israel scrambles warplanes over nuclear facility

Israel's air force scrambled fighter jets Tuesday after a small civilian aircraft flew into restricted airspace near the country's heavily guarded and secretive Dimona nuclear reactor, military officials said Tuesday.

The officials said two fighter planes that were already airborne responded and directed the pilot to a nearby airport. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity surrounding the Dimona nuclear reactor.

Israeli media said the man had flown into the area accidentally.

Foreign experts have concluded that Israel possesses a formidable nuclear arsenal based on pictures taken at the site two decades ago by a technician.

Israel maintains a policy it calls nuclear ambiguity, refusing to acknowledge whether it has atomic weapons.

Israel scrambles warplanes over nuclear facility - Taiwan News Online
 

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Israeli navy to deploy robot craft

Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Oct 6, 2009
The Israeli navy will shortly begin deploying unmanned craft along the Mediterranean coast, particularly off the Hamas-held Gaza Strip in the south and Lebanon in the north where Hezbollah guerrillas operate.

These highly maneuverable unmanned surface vehicles, operated by remote control from land stations, can carry out a wide range of missions, such as patrolling coastal waters to counter gun-running and infiltration with less prospect of being detected than the much larger manned vessels.

"There are areas that the navy preferred to first enter in an unmanned capacity before a manned capacity," a senior navy officer told The Jerusalem Post Sunday in reference to the Gaza and Lebanon sectors.

The Protector, built by Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd., is one of the new systems acquired by the navy. It can carry a wide range of payloads, including cameras, sensors and weapons.

These new craft are making Israel one of the global leaders in the development and combat deployment of unmanned systems in the air, on the land and now at sea.

Israel's defense industry recently announced the development of an unmanned land vehicle for carrying supplies in combat zones.

Elbit Systems will be displaying a newly developed land robot, the Beagle, at the Association of the United States Army defense exhibition in Washington.

The Beagle is self-navigating and can avoid obstacles and climb stairs. Its extendable arm can lift up to 4.5 pounds and carry a wide variety of payloads.

But it is in the air that Israeli expertise in the unmanned vehicle sector is most widely seen.

Elbit will be also be displaying for the first time at the Washington exhibition its Hermes 90 long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, which can remain aloft for up to 18 hours and has a range of up to 62 miles.

Poland is currently considering buying Israeli UAVs to support its forces deployed in Afghanistan.

"We're going to buy a whole range of drones, from short to medium range," Defense Minister Bogdan Klich told Jane's Defense Weekly in August.

He comments followed Warsaw's Aug. 11 announcement that Poland would create a backup force of 200 troops for its 2,000-man contingent currently serving with NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Elbit announced Sunday that it opened an office in Baku, capital of the oil-rich former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan where Israeli influence is growing. Israel is a major buyer of Azeri oil from the Caspian Basin.

Elbit is currently working on UAV projects with the Azeri Defense Ministry, whose budget this year was increased to $2.5 billion.

According to Azeri media, Israel defense contractor Aeronautics Defense Systems will construct a factory to help the Azeris build UAVs and satellites.

The company's chief executive officer, Avi Leumi, accompanied Israeli President Shimon Peres when he visited Baku in June.

Israeli navy to deploy robot craft
 

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Israel develops unmanned surface vessel

10/9/2009

GAZA, Oct 9 (KUNA) -- The Israeli Army developed an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to be used in maintaining the siege on Gaza Strip, reported an Israeli paper Friday.
Maariv paper said that the USV, named "Protector", is nine-meters long and has sophisticated surveillance equipment, a radar to detect targets, and a cannon.
The paper also said that the Israeli navy will be using an unmanned plane.
Israeli military boats target Palestinian fishermen almost daily, claiming that they exceeded the lines beyond which their activities are prohibited.
???? : Israel develops unmanned surface vessel - ?????? ?????? - 09/10/2009
 

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Israeli air force industries develops new unmanned helicopter drone

GAZA, Oct 8 (KUNA) -- Israeli "Steadicopter," a company owned by the Israeli air force industries, is to showcase next week the first unmanned robot helicopter drone dubbed the "Black Eagle 50." According to Israeli newspaper "Maariv" website, the new helicopter will be presented at the 3rd Israel Defense International Army and Police Exhibition in Tel Aviv.
The unmanned helicopter is based on the company's proprietary, patented autonomous flight control technology, Maariv added.
The company lists among the helicopter's advantages its ability to observe places inaccessible by ordinary drones, and its ability to take off and land from most terrain.
Israeli Steadicopter officials say the helicopter and its control systems are designed to be transported to the launch site in a specially equipped truck where it is operated by a two-person team.
The vehicle sends live video images during flight to the ground station and can carry sensors as well.
Unlike regular UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), the robot-copters don't need runways.
"Like regular helicopters, they can hover and also fly low and hover right over the target when feasible, which planes can't just do," the newspaper added.
The report on the Israel website did not say whether such technology will be used on the field during attack operations on the occuppied territories where similar choppers were widley used for assassinations and other recon missions.

???? : Israeli air force industries develops new unmanned helicopter drone - ?????? ?????? - 09/10/2009
 

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Turkey rejects Israel Nato exercise

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Israeli military says Ankara has prevented an annual air force drill in Turkey from taking place because of its demand that there be no Israeli participation.

The annual drill was scheduled to begin on Monday, 12th October, with air forces from the US and Italy.

But according to the Israeli Haaretz newspaper, both Washington and Rome withdrew their participation following Turkey's request to ban Israel from the exercise.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the drill was delayed "indefinitely" because of Turkey's decision ... "not to allow the Israeli air force to take part".

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since Israel's winter war on Gaza, when Turkey denounced Israeli conduct during the war.

And Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, cancelled his visit to Israel in September after Israel denied his request to visit the Gaza Strip from Israeli territory.

Al Jazeera English - Middle East - Turkey rejects Israel Nato exercise
 

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Israeli Army To Protect Soldiers From Rockets With 'Shock Absorber'

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Jerusalem — The Israeli Army is about to become the first army in the world to protect its ground forces from anti-tank rockets of the sort that claimed many casualties during the Second Lebanon War and during Operation Cast Lead.

Most recently, Israel Military Industries developed the “Shock Absorber,” the first system of its kind in the world, which locates the launching of anti-tank rockets at ground forces and disrupts their flight.

Shock Absorber is a mobile system mounted on the back of infantry troops that enables deployment on the ground within minutes. After the system is stationed on the ground, near troops who are concealed, for example, in a building, it locates any rocket fire at the building and disrupts its flight

The system will be shown in several days at a large military exhibit in the U.S., and it is already known that military representatives of the US and other countries will come to learn about it in order to purchase it in the future.

“This is a unique development, and we are seeing a great deal of interest from various armies,” said Avi Felder, the director-general of Israel Military Industries.

According to Eyal Ben-Haim, a high-ranking official at Israel Military Industries, the system is capable of disrupting the flight of rockets such as the Kornet and the MILAN, which Hezbollah operatives used during the Second Lebanon War, during the summer of 2006.

Israeli Army To Protect Soldiers From Rockets With ?Shock Absorber? - The Philadelphia Bulletin
 

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Israel says barred by Turkey from air exercise

Sun Oct 11, 2009

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday that Turkey had excluded it from an air exercise over Turkish territory, leading to the drill's cancellation, in a move an Israeli official described as a blow to NATO and U.S. interests.

Israel's military said in a statement the joint exercise, scheduled to begin on Monday in NATO-member Turkey, takes place every few years but was postponed indefinitely after Ankara removed Israel from the list of participants.

Turkish officials had no immediate comment.

Turkey, a secular Muslim country, has been a key ally to Israel, but relations have cooled over Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's outspoken criticism of Israel's three-week offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in December and January.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Israel preferred the United States and other NATO members approach Turkey over the exclusion decision because Ankara's step was also "a blow to NATO, European and American interests".

But Ayalon played down the effects Turkey's decision would have on political relations between the two U.S. allies.

"Turkey has been and remains an important strategic anchor in the Middle East, and certainly its relations with Israel is something that serves the entire region," Ayalon told Israel Radio.

An Israeli political source said Turkey had rejected Israeli participation and postponed the drill indefinitely after other nations, including the United States and Italy, refused to take part without Israel's air force.

The exercise, called Anatolian Eagle, is aimed at improving international aerial cooperation, the Israeli military said.Turkey and Israel have enjoyed close military cooperation, including Israeli air force training in Turkish air space. The two countries also share intelligence and have strong trade ties, including the sale of important military equipment.

Relations were strained after Erdogan criticised Israel over the Gaza campaign and walked out on Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January.

A U.N. report last month found that both the Israeli armed forces and Hamas militants committed war crimes in the Gaza conflict, but it was more critical of Israel.

A Palestinian rights group says 1,417 Palestinians, including 926 civilians, were killed in the war. Israel has said 709 Palestinian combatants were killed along with 295 civilians and 162 people whose status it was unable to clarify.

Ten Israeli soldiers and three civilians were killed during the conflict which Israel launched with the declared aim of ending cross-border rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.

Israel says barred by Turkey from air exercise | World | Reuters
 

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Israeli Military Changes Tactics in West Bank

Sunday, October 11, 2009


Israel's military, taking a page from the Pentagon's counterinsurgency playbook, has changed tactics in the West Bank by emphasizing improvements in Palestinian living conditions, rather than focusing solely on killing and capturing militants.

The shift, however, is threatened by personnel changes: Three generals who were instrumental in planning it are on the way out.

Under their guidance, the Israeli Defense Force, which has occupied and administered the West Bank since its capture in 1967, has pulled back its soldiers from the enclave's cities, turned over security responsibilities to Palestinians, and lifted many of the checkpoints and roadblocks that had shackled the economy.

Israeli forces are refraining from airstrikes or shelling, tactics they once used frequently to attack suspected militants. Instead of daytime raids with large battalions, commanders have turned to more surgical strikes by commandoes, which are less disruptive to the civilian population.

"Part of our philosophy is to fight the terrorists with M-16 [rifles], not F-16 [jets]," said Brig. Gen. Noam Tivon, one of the leaders of the shift.

Israeli Military Changes Tactics in West Bank - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com
 

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