Israel links missile defense assets as attacks increase

TEL AVIV — Israel is urgently pooling its missile defense assets to defend against Hizbullah medium-range rockets as the frequency of attacks continues to increase.

Officials acknowledged an increase in rocket strikes despite heavy air attacks on Hizbullah facilities and weapons convoys. They said more than 130 Hizbullah rockets were fired on Tuesday, compared to 90 on July 17.

The Defense Ministry has been discussing the prospect of linking existing systems to intercept Iranian-origin medium-range rockets fired by Hizbullah over the last week. Officials said the effort was designed to link several tactical systems into a regional defense umbrella.

"We know we don't have an effective solution to short-range rockets," an official said. "But we think we could link systems to provide some protection against medium-range rockets." Officials said one prospect was the use of the Barak-1 sea-based anti-missile system to protect strategic facilities along the northern Israeli coast. They said the Barak-1, with a range of 10 kilometers, could be used to intercept medium-range missiles fired toward such sites as Haifa's naval base, refinery and petrochemical facility.

Israel has completed the Barak-2, with a range of 16 kilometers. IAI has also developed a land-based Barak missile defense system.

"Urgent efforts are being made to use various relevant systems to counter the rockets," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Ashkenazi said. "The systems are in place and in use."

Hizbullah resumed rocket fire on Haifa and other northern Israeli communities on Wednesday. At the same time, a Hizbullah ground force attacked Israeli border positions and Lebanese sources reported that at least two Israelis were killed.

The Israel Air Force has invested much of its effort in destroying Hizbullah's medium-range rocket capability. On Tuesday, Israeli fighter-jets attacked four trucks laden with weapons that entered Lebanon from Syria.

"Several trucks with weapons that traveled from Syria to Lebanon were destroyed," Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, commander of the military's Operations Directorate, said.

Officials said 15 medium-range rockets, including the Zelzal-1, were destroyed. The Zelzal-1 was said to have a range of about 150 kilometers and a payload of 600 kilograms.

"We have already destroyed around 50 percent of Hizbullah's rockets and missiles," Brig. Gen. Alon Friedman, a senior air force officer, said. "Our air force will continue attacks to stop supplies from Syria from reaching Hizbullah."

The Barak-1 system has been deployed on the Israel Navy's fleet of Saar-5 and Saar-4.5 missile boats. On July 14, a Saar-5 vessel was struck by a Chinese-origin C-802 cruise missile off the Lebanese coast.

Officials said the Barak-1 system did not detect the Iranian-produced C-802 because of the navy's failure to enter data regarding such a missile. They said Israeli intelligence was unaware that Hizbullah had procured the C-802.

The Defense Ministry has been discussing the deployment of much of the navy's fleet of Saar-5 and Saar-4.5 vessels in Haifa bay to protect strategic facilities in the city. The navy has three Saar-5s and six Hetz-class Saar 4.5 vessels. Another five older Aliya-class Saar-4.5 vessels do not have the missile defense system.

"The Barak is missile is meant to defend against sea-to-sea missiles and could defend against air weapons," Rear Adm. Noam Feig, head of the navy's surface vessel division, said.

Under the proposal, first reported by the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Barak-1 systems would be linked to the Green Pine long-range radar. The Green Pine, manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries, was designed to detect enemy launches for the Arrow-2 missile defense system.

Officials said the military could also use the Patriot PAC-2 to help intercept medium-range Hizbullah rockets such as the Zelzal and Fajr-5. Over the weekend, the military deployed a PAC-2 battery in Haifa, which so far has not attempted to intercept Hizbullah rockets.

The Defense Ministry has been examining options to develop and procure a system to protect against short- and medium-range rockets unable to be intercepted by either the Arrow-2 or Patriot. In May, the ministry selected a team of Rafael, Israel Armament Development Authority and Raytheon to design such a system.

Sun Tzu advocated attacking and/or seizing something the enemy holds dear as the way of urgently refocusing his attentions.

Which costs more, one of those junk rockets the Hammas-apes lob over the border, or the sophisticated systems needed to shoot them down?

Answer: the Israeli's have got to go in on the ground on an ape-hunting mission.

Sun Tzu advocated attacking and/or seizing something the enemy holds dear as the way of urgently refocusing his attentions.

Like Mecca?

I would think that the Phalanx (anti ship missile system would be a cheap way to provide missile defense as long as Israel could keep it from shooting its planes down.

Good thing they brought this to a boil now. Can you imagine how much stronger Hezbollha would have been in 2 to 4 years. The U.N. owes the Israelis a whole lot. Give the U.N. the bill for destroying Hezbollha.

Iran supplied Hizbullah with their rockets such as the Zelzal and Fajr-5 and is helping them shoot at Israel now to test and use up Israel missile defense systems and or set up Israel into complacency with daily rockets to sneak in missiles fired from Iran with WMD on them. So far, Israel has not had to use and has not been suckered into using any of their missile intercept batteries to date. Iran's plan is not going very well. When the sh*t really hits the fan there will probably be an Aegis cruiser off the coast to help shoot down anything coming from Iran or Syria. Iran is going going to end up a cloud of smoke over a sea of glass.

We have Ehud Barak to thank not only for Israel's Monty Python withdrawal from Lebanon that brought Hezbollah literally to Israel's doorstep, we have have him to thank for Israel's failure to develop an anti-missle system because he thought it was unnecessary at the time. And now Israel is just scrambling to catch up.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em, Down Hezbullies.)

9 posted on 07/20/2006 4:02:09 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)

Mecca, Qum, Najaf, Karbala [identity], Tehran [political command-decapitating strike] - you get the idea.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.