You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Middle East
Crews deploying U.S. Patriot anti-missiles inTel Aviv area
2003-03-04
Crews began deploying U.S.-supplied Patriot anti-missile batteries in the greater Tel Aviv area Tuesday, as a back-up system to the Arrow missile killer meant to protect the densely populated center from the potential threat of Iraqi Scud missiles. The deployment of the U.S. Patriot batteries, which had stored until now at Israel Air Force bases, apparently indicates that the American attack in Iraq may be near.
Hummmmm.
Israeli Patriot batteries, along with the two that Israel received from Germany, will be deployed in other areas, primarily in Haifa and near the nuclear plant in Dimona. Last week, the Israel Defense Forces issued irregular call-up orders for several dozen missile battery operators. Reserve soldiers will be taught how to operate the second Patriot battery that Israel has received from Germany, which is to become operational within a few weeks. The first is already operational. The Patriots are intended to serve as a second defense line should the Arrow fail to intercept incoming Iraqi missiles. The Arrow is designed to intercept Iraqi Scud missiles some 70 kilometers above the ground, while the Patriot is designed to hit the Scuds at an altitude of 15-30 kilometers. Israeli defense authorities have said that the likelihood that Iraq will launch missiles against Israel has significantly declined since the 1991 Gulf war, in which Saddam Hussein's forces fired 39 Scuds at the Jewish state, causing widespread damage but relatively few casualties. Washington, keen to keep Israel from retaliating for Scud attacks, has assured the Sharon government that it views operations to curb missile firings as a top priority for its forces in an upcoming war.
Israel sat out the first Gulf War. They don't have to sit out a second one...
The defense establishment in Israel is also concerned about experiments that Syria has been conducting recently with Scud-D missiles. The range of these missiles is 700 kilometers, and they are more accurate than the older Scuds. One of the difficulties in intercepting the Scud-D is that in flight the missile splinters, making it more difficult for the Arrow radar system to pick up all its parts. The defense establishment stresses, however, that as of now, there are no signs that Syria may be seeking a confrontation with Israel in the near future.
They may be crazy, but they ain't stupid.
Posted by:Steve

#1  which is why the troops off Turkey may sit there awhile alongside the HS Truman....keeping Syria honest.
Posted by: john   2003-03-04 22:06:14  

00:00