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Israel reported that Palestinian rebels successfully test-fired an Iranian rocket that can reach Tel Aviv. Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin said the rocket’s range is 37 miles, eight miles longer than the Grad used by Hamas. This summer, Israel’s Iron Dome system intercepted and destroyed a short-range Grad rocket, similar to the Katyusha rocket used by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. (Source)

Israel is in Iran’s sights, and the rogue state’s development of short-range rockets, coupled with longer-range Shehab and Sajjil missiles, puts Israel in a dangerous position. As mentioned in the previous post, Israel has been testing the Arrow II, THAAD, Aegis, and PAC-3 and working to improve its Iron Dome anti-rocket shield.

Defense contractor Raytheon recently won two contracts worth over $100 million to develop Israel’s David’s Sling Weapons System. Mike Booen of Raytheon said, “Large-caliber rockets and short-range ballistic missile threats are inexpensive, plentiful, easily concealed and largely exempt from international arms control accords. Stunner [interceptor] offers a near-term and affordable solution to this asymmetric threat.” counter short-range ballistic missiles, large-caliber rockets and cruise missiles in their terminal phase of flight.

 
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin was awarded a $1 billion contract to continue developing the Aegis ballistic missile defense system and create more Aegis-compatible warships. (Source)

Orlando Carvalho vice president and general manager of the company’s surface-sea based missile defense unit said: “This further supports the increasing demand for Aegis BMD capability worldwide, especially in light of the administration’s recent shift in policy in European Missile Defense.”

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. awarded defense contractor Raytheon two contracts worth over $100 million to design and develop the David’s Sling Weapon System, a joint program between the Missile Defense Agency and the Israel Missile Defense Organization. (Source)

The system is designed to defend against short-range ballistic missiles, high-caliber rockets, and cruise missiles in the terminal phase. Mike Booen of Raytheon said, “Large-caliber rockets and short-range ballistic missile threats are inexpensive, plentiful, easily concealed and largely exempt from international arms control accords. Stunner [interceptor] offers a near-term and affordable solution to this asymmetric threat.”

 
On the heels of conducing a joint missile defense exercise – which simulated a response to an attack by the Islamic Republic, Syria, and Hezbollah – Israel and the U.S. will conduct another today. (Source)

As part of a biennial exercise between the two countries, this drill, also called Juniper Cobra, is dubbed the “largest-ever” simulated attack on Israel. Testing air defenses, the drill will assess Arrow, THAAD, Aegis, Patriot, and Hawk defense systems. News source Yediot Aharonot noted that the “working assumption upon which the exercise is based is that the United States, in the event of a war, will provide Israel with missile defence systems that will operate alongside” the Arrow II.

The Arrow II is part of Israel’s Iron Dome, an anti-rocket shield designed to defend Israel from Hamas and Hezbollah rockets and also serves as a major component in a multi-layered missile defense system.

>>  We blogged earlier this week that the Ukraine may be part of our country’s new missile defense shield plans. According to RIA Novosti, Ukraine’s president said the U.S. has yet to ask his country to host shields.

Such facilities in the Ukraine would be part of an early warning radar system, although it already has two missile radar systems. When Barack Obama dropped plans to deploy missile defense shields to Central Europe, Russia was pleased. But the former Soviet Union apparently reflected on the decision and realized it may not like the new plans, either. Russia’s Sergei Lavrov said, “We would like to receive full clarification.”

Russia and the U.S. seem to have different ideas about which countries pose the greatest nuclear threat. Russia doesn’t believe Iran’s missiles can reach Europe, and the U.S. doesn’t want to downplay Iran’s capabilities. Whether Hillary Clinton accomplished anything significant in Russia remains to be seen.

>>  In recent talks with Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer at Forum 2000, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressed concern about Iran.

“Iran is a threat to the entire world and not just Israel,” he said. “The international community needs to unite together against this threat and recruit countries like Russia, China and India. Israel believes that everything needs to be done to stop Iran from becoming nuclear.” (Source)

>>  North Korea seeks bilateral talks with the U.S. and remain uninterested in six-party talks. The country invited U.S. special envoy Stephen Bosworth to meet with leaders to discuss the matter, but there’s been no official acceptance.

North Korea walked out on discussions in April. The State Department’s Phillip Crowley said, “We continue our close consultations with the other partners in the Six-Party process, but our position remains the same: North Korea has to eventually come back to the Six-Party process and recommit towards denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” (Source)

 
As we mentioned in the previous post, Israel is shoring up its defenses. This week, Israel and the U.S. are conducting a joint missile defense exercise called Juniper Cobra, which will simulate response to an attack by the Islamic Republic, Syria, and Hezbollah. American soldiers and missile ships are in Israel to carry out the exercise. (Source)

Among the systems tested are the Arrow II, THAAD, Aegis, and PAC-3. Israel’s Iron Dome, an anti-rocket shield, is designed to defend Israel from Hamas and Hezbollah rockets and also serves as a major component in a multi-layered missile defense system that includes the Arrow II anti-ballistic missile shield. The U.S. and Israel are working together to develop Arrow III, designed to destroy multiple-warhead missiles and decoys.

As expected, Iran isn’t taking the news well. Iranian cleric Mojtaba Zolnour, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s representative in the Revolutionary Guard, said: “Should a single American or Zionist missile land in our country, before the dust settles, Iranian missiles will blow up the heart of Israel.”

Iran has always made big threats. It defies common sense that Iran expects Israel and the U.S. to complacently neglect such preparation and simply (or simple-mindedly) trust that the rogue state’s missile and nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

 
While the Obama administration plays semantics games and underestimates Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities, Pentagon officials say the U.S. is taking Iran’s long-range missile threat seriously.

In August, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center released a report that concluded Iran would have the capability to reach the U.S. by 2015. Pentagon officials testified before the House Armed Services Committee last week that the U.S. will have the capability to shoot down Iran’s long-range missiles. Ground-based missile interceptors will be deployed to the west coast in 2010. (Source)

Under its “defense umbrella,” the U.S. will deploy Aegis interceptor-equipped navy ships to the Mediterranean to help protect Israel, Iran’s prime target.

Lawmakers who oppose Obama’s defense plans contend that Iran’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) could threaten the U.S. and parts of western Europe. The president cut missile defense by $1.4 billion, which reduced ground-based interceptors to be deployed in Alaska and California from 44 to 30. Pentagon official Michele Flournoy said those 30 interceptors will “provide the United States with full protection of the homeland against an Iranian ICBM threat.”

Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly of the Missile Defense Agency echoed the sentiment.

The administration purports to have new intelligence showing Iran does not have a long-range missile and will not have one until 2015 at the earliest. When Bush was in office, the low end of the estimate was 2012. What if Obama is wrong?

Republican Rep. Howard McKeon, member of the House Armed Services Committee: “Let me simply say, I’m skeptical. Intelligence is a fickle business.”

Indeed, but Obama believes money and energy should be focused on shorter-range missiles, at the expense of longer-range protection. As we’ve said before, unless the administration knows something specific about Iran’s capabilities that hasn’t been reported in the media, there’s little reason to make assumptions that downplay Iran’s intentions.

 
The U.S. and Israel are setting the stage for a joint missile defense exercise later this month.

U.S. Navy ships are arriving in Israel as the country eyes shoring up its defenses to deal with the Iranian threat. Will Israel get to keep the system once the exercises are over, and what role will our ally play under President Barack Obama’s missile defense plan?

We blogged last week that Israel and Turkey may be missile-shield alternative sites to Poland and the Czech Republic. If that’s the case, Iran no doubt will continue ranting about the “anti-Iranian” and “anti-Islamic” policies of countries trying to protect their citizens. One can only imagine what would happen if Israel made a pre-emptive move against Iran. The rogue state has made clear time and time again it will not stop test-firing missiles or building its nuclear program.

The fire still burns.

(Source: UPI)

In August, Israel test-fired a missile from its Iron Dome system, which intercepted and destroyed a short-range rocket similar to the one the Lebanese Hezbollah militia uses. The anti-rocket shield is designed to defend Israel from Hamas and Hezbollah rockets and also serves as a major component in a multi-layered missile defense system that includes the Arrow II anti-ballistic missile shield.

 
>> The U.S. and Israel will engage in a joint missile defense exercise called Juniper Cobra next month, and the Jerusalem Post reports that the U.S. may leave the systems in place afterward. (Source)

Called the largest joint exercise between the two countries, the event will involve testing three ballistic missile defense systems. The Obama administration has turned its back on deploying missile defense shields to Poland and the Czech Republic, and it’s speculated that countries like Israel and Turkey will be alternative sites.

An Israeli defense minister said, “There is some sense in deploying additional systems [in Israel] since the US already has the X-Band radar in the Negev, storehouses with equipment and close cooperation with the IDF.”

>> Defense contractor Raytheon has developed the AN/SPY-5, a multitracking naval radar system that can search, detect, and track surface and air missiles.

Raytheon’s Charles “Tom” Bush said, “SPY-5 is an affordable, effective and reliable radar system that provides critical capabilities for naval forces around the globe. The radar delivers the capabilities of multiple radar systems to counter a broad range of threats in a single, cost-effective solution.” (Source)

In other Raytheon news, the U.S. Navy awarded the contractor a $151 million contract to make 186 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSM) and a $210.3 million option to make 225 more missiles. (Source)

From the release:

“Deployed in the U.S. Navy and nine international fleets, ESSM defends the battlespace by delivering ship self-defense firepower against high-G maneuvering anti-ship cruise missiles as well as surface and low-velocity air threats.”

Finally, Raytheon has awarded a $55.7 million sub-contract to Intracom Defense Electronics, a Greek company, to make subsystems for launchers for Patriot air and missile defense systems. The projected completion date of the project is three and a half years. (Source)

 
Israel is preparing its Iron Dome missile defense against Iran. The U.S. has agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic to build missile defense shields in those countries to protect the region against Iran. Despite what naysayers and downplayers say to the contrary, these countries are doing the right thing. Iran may have the ability to hit Europe with a ballistic missile in three years. (Source)

Israel’s Uzi Rubin said that if Iran puts all its power behind increasing its ballistic missile range to 2,438 miles, the rogue state will be able to hit London.

What about the U.S.? According to a report issued by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Iran would have the capability to reach us by 2015.

Rubin said this about Iran’s capability: “The predictions…are coming true, perhaps sooner than anyone thought. I think there was an underestimation of Iranian capability.”

Opinion differ, naturally. Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ballistic missile defense capabilities of North Korea and Iran don’t jibe with predictions.

(Image source: AFP)

 
Last month, Israel successfully test-fired a missile defense system it developed, according to an Israeli Defense Minister official. A missile from the country’s Iron Dome system intercepted and destroyed a short-range rocket called Grad, similar to the Katyusha rocket used by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

Xinhuanet reports that Israel’s air force has set up a battalion for operating the Iron Dome. Israel is setting the stage. Faced with short-range weapon and mortar shell attacks, the country needs an anti-rocket system to neutralize these threats.

The Iron Dome is an anti-rocket shield designed to defend Israel from Hamas and Hizbullah rockets and also serves as a major component in a multi-layered missile defense system that includes the Arrow II anti-ballistic missile shield. The Arrow II is designed to counter Iran’s Shahab-3 missile, which has a range of 1,250 miles, far enough to hit Israel.

The Iron Dome may be ready to use in actual battle conditions sometime next year. Xinhuanet reports that Israel will deploy the system to the Gaza border, then along Lebanon’s border.