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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| Israel To Make Do With Fewer Iron Dome Interceptors | |
| 2012-04-05 | |
Israel is expanding the reach of its Iron Dome rocket interceptors to make do with fewer given the prospect of reduced financial support from a cash-strapped United States, a senior Israeli official said on Wednesday.
I inhaled. That was the point... 's administration said on March 27 it would seek "an appropriate level of funding" for further acquisitions. Israel has deployed three of the systems, which helped fend off Paleostinian rocket salvoes during a flare-up in fighting around the Gazoo Strip last month, and has spoken of needing 13 or 14 in total to protect its various fronts. But a senior Israeli official said that full deployment could be reduced thanks to planned advances in Iron Dome, which uses small radar-guided missiles to blow up Katyusha-style rockets with ranges of between 5 km and 70 km, as well as mortar bombs, in mid-air. The official, who briefed a small group of journalists on condition of anonymity, predicted an increased interception range of up to 250 km, as well as more flexible aiming of Iron Dome units, which cost around $50 million each. "You could post it in the Dan region (greater Tel Aviv area) and it would have enough range in either direction, both north and south," the official said, referring to Israel's borders with Leb and Gazoo, territories where Islamist guerrillas have sizeable rocket arsenals. Iron Dome's manufacturer, state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., said last month that the government had ordered seven units so far. The company is also developing David's Sling, also known as Magic Wand, an interceptor designed to shoot down longer-range rockets and cruise missiles. As a safeguard against enemy ballistic missiles of the kind held by Iran and Syria, Israel has also deployed Arrow, which carries out interceptions at atmospheric altitudes. Like Iron Dome and David's Sling, Arrow has been extensively underwritten by the United States, which is keen to show its support for Israel in the face of an Iranian nuclear program that Israel has described as a mortal threat. The Israeli official anticipated that talks with the United States on a "new round" of missile-defense funding would be completed in two or three months. While praising American largesse, the official said US planners had asked Israel to "point out honestly where the upper limit is in terms of what can be implemented" with Iron Dome. Summarising Washington's message, the official said: "We don't want to give money for the sake of it, we are deep in (fiscal) challenges ourselves." | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #22 western Pacific. |
| Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 2012-04-05 21:12 |
| #21 Trailing wife, You're sounding a bit stereotypical, Shimble Guelph5793. Nowadays neocon is generally used as shorthand for American Jew, but possibly you were not aware of that, I am aware. Sometimes I get tired of gromguru's Juden Uber Alle attitude, especially when it's on America's dime. I won't let a comment like this Go and build a nation somewhere---if possible, far away from where I live. pass and not remind him who were the most passionate advocates of the disastrous policy of nation building. $2 trillion and 6000 American lives plus hundereds of British and other allies lives, and counting, down a rat hole. Best and brightest indeed. And now we can't one of them to accept the responsibility for their actions. You summarized the numerical details of the article nicely. However, the overall thrust is that the funding the Israeli government was led to expect will not be made available because America, for tactfully unmentioned reasons, can no longer afford it. And so, Israel will make do. So how how about a thank you to America for shelling out an additional $200 million this year that we can't afford and keep the whining off an American forum? It sounds so ... Palestinian. It is not America's responsibility to buy Israel the latest and shiniest weapons, though somehow, we seem to shoulder that burden too. If it is so important for Israelis, how about they pay for some of it? Why are Americans footing this year's entire buy? Are Americans expected to foot the entire cost of next year's buy? The next after that? ?????????????? When the Chicoms took power they reneged on all the bonds China owed, a lot of it used to build their railroad system. The present value owed to Americans is around $350 billion. The same, in reverse, will happen when the Chinese decide to go war to kick the Americans out of the eastern Pacific. |
| Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 2012-04-05 21:11 |
| #20 I disagree. As long as you have a take, and can back it up, I don't mind how 'wrong' it is. |
| Posted by: Mizzou Mafia 2012-04-05 19:21 |
| #19 #5 belongs in the sink trap. |
| Posted by: rammer 2012-04-05 18:58 |
| #18 That's a neocon fetish, isn't it? Again with American tax money. You're sounding a bit stereotypical, Shimble Guelph5793. Nowadays neocon is generally used as shorthand for American Jew, but possibly you were not aware of that, You summarized the numerical details of the article nicely. However, the overall thrust is that the funding the Israeli government was led to expect will not be made available because America, for tactfully unmentioned reasons, can no longer afford it. And so, Israel will make do. As lord garth pointed out, for reasons of its own the USDoD considers the monies well and profitably spent, which the article also tactfully did not mention. Nor that a good part of the reason Israel finds itself in this position is that the current, non-neocon White House has worked both overtly and covertly to prevent Israel from in any way acting to defend itself against Iran and Iran's allies in the region. Let me ask you this: is America getting better or worse value for their donations to Israel compared to Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Germany? How about Korea or Japan? In which of those countries is an American in uniform welcome? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2012-04-05 16:59 |
| #17 ?????????????? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-04-05 15:14 |
| #16 Don't fret, the US will end up stiffing the Chinese, just like they did to the Americans in 1949. |
| Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 2012-04-05 15:12 |
| #15 Actually, it's Chinese money nowadays, Shimble. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-04-05 15:08 |
| #14 Go and build a nation somewhere---if possible, far away from where I live. That's a neocon fetish, isn't it? Again with American tax money. |
| Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 2012-04-05 15:02 |
| #13 My dear trailing wife, 1. Israel has deployed three of the systems 2. said last month that the government had ordered seven units so far. 3. Iron Dome units, which cost around $50 million each. 4. The US Congress approved $205 million for Iron Dome in fiscal year 2011 Yeah, the US taxpayer just paid 100% of the cost for the 4 units just ordered. In addition, after accounting for any US components already paid with the $3B/year US mil aid dollars and the taxes the the 4 units generate, the Israeli government makes quite a tidy profit. And that doesn't even get into foreign sales. Same for a lot of other US funded projects like the Arrow or cancelled Lavi where the American tax money spent generated more in Israeli taxes than Israel's contribution to the project. OK, not the same, since the Israelis made extra money by selling the Lavi design to the Chinese. Read between the lines. |
| Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 2012-04-05 14:56 |
| #12 What? Free isn't good enough for you? Go and build a nation somewhere---if possible, far away from where I live. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-04-05 14:44 |
| #11 What? Free isn't good enough for you? You have to make a profit on top of it? *carefully takes off moderator hat and sets it aside next the clue bat with the periwinkle ribbons* My dear Shimble Guelph5793, please do yourself a favour and read the fucking article, since you clearly have not done so yet. *puts moderator hat back on* |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2012-04-05 13:48 |
| #10 Cheaper to let people be murdered, right? Cheaper still to bomb their enemies territory into pea gravel and matchsticks. Or, uncork a few physics packages on some major population centers. Way past time for that. It's coming though. |
| Posted by: Fat Bob Bourbon5272 2012-04-05 12:45 |
| #9 Yes, on stupid kikes who keep believing Amurican promises. What? Free isn't good enough for you? You have to make a profit on top of it? Israelis, Egyptians and Palestinians have cost Americans dearly for 40 years. In money, lost economic opportunity and dead lives. All three of you can pay for your own damn intrigues or good riddance to the lot of you. |
| Posted by: Shimble Guelph5793 2012-04-05 12:12 |
| #8 Right from the start critics said that Iron Dome is too expensive. I think they are right. Cheaper to let people be murdered, right? |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2012-04-05 09:55 |
| #7 US support for Israel's missile defense program is, IIUC, considered a big success in the US DOD. It has essentially allowed testing multiple platforms, devices, targeting algorithms, etc. in a way that the Pentagon could never have done by itself. The improvement in missile defense is of not just tactical but also strategic importance as the US and Europe will face missile threats of various kinds over the next decades. |
| Posted by: lord garth 2012-04-05 07:42 |
| #6 Right from the start critics said that Iron Dome is too expensive. I think they are right. |
| Posted by: BernardZ 2012-04-05 06:47 |
| #5 This is like some sort of ethnic parody. Yes, on stupid kikes who keep believing Amurican promises. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-04-05 05:47 |
| #4 They are planning on a war where they'll be defending on three fronts (Gaza + Lebanon + Syria = 100,000 explosive things flying at them) while flying over the fronts to bounce some rubble in Iran, guys. It's possible their resources are stretched a bit thin at the moment. They've retrofitted enough buildings to get 75% of the population under cover when the time comes, and most of the population has gas masks, should Syria and Hizb'allah crack out the WMDs they acquired for the purpose. This is in response to the hint of yet another broken promise from our beloved president. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2012-04-05 01:39 |
| #3 The missiles are expensive, but cheaper than high rises and schools full of people. This is one of those systems that you just have to bloody fund if you live where the Israelis live. And if it means chopping away at discretionary spending, then do that; because not to build enough of these interceptors is consigning your cities to destruction at the hands of Arab terrorists and their Iranian paymasters. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2012-04-05 01:33 |
| #2 What, they can't fucking pay for it themselves? To defend their homeland from incoming missiles? This is like some sort of ethnic parody. |
| Posted by: gromky 2012-04-05 00:30 |
| #1 Good grief. |
| Posted by: newc 2012-04-05 00:24 |