USAF to purchase 20 Israeli Python 5 missiles-Report

Globes Online,Israel ^ | 7 Nov 06 | Ran Dagoni

[sukhoi-30mki]

USAF to purchase 20 Python 5 missiles - report

This will be the first time that the US Air Force has purchased air-to-air missiles from a foreign manufacturer.

Ran Dagoni, Washington 7 Nov 06 14:05

US defense news magazine “Defense News” reports that the US Air Force is to buy 20 Python 5 Full Sphere air-to-air missiles from Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd., for a F-16 fighter squadron stationed at Nevada. Should the negotiations lead to a contract, this will be the first time that the US Air Force has purchased air-to-air missiles from a foreign manufacturer. Sources at Rafael’s US office declined to comment on the report.

“Air-to-air missiles are a matter of masculinity, like fighter aircraft or tanks. Missiles like these are the kind of weapon that fighting organizations find difficult to buy from a foreign party since they represent the core of their being,” said former Pentaon official Frank Cevasco, who managed international development and production programs under four US defense secretaries.

Over the years, the Pentagon has purchased air-to-surface missiles for fighter aircraft in the US Air Force and Navy from foreign manufacturers, including AGM-142 (Popeye) missiles from Israel, Durandal missiles from France, and Penguin missiles from Norway. However Cevasco and other procurement specialists at the Pentagon could not recall a single case where the US Air Force purchased air-to-air missiles from a foreign company.

Published by Globes [online], Israel

[sukhoi-30mki]

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I suspect that this is part of some sort of political deal or compromise reached because of either the recent war with Hezbollah or Israel having to fork over some 5,000 rifles to Fatah.

[John Carey]

Good for us. Five is about the right number to fully check them out....

[MARKUSPRIME]

I know why. The chinese have python missiles and the US wants to see how it stacks up with ours. Not to mention if it has some tech we need in our missiles Im sure it will be reverse engineered if so.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Well,if it was part of such a bargain,the Israelis are being foolish.They should've asked for freebies from the US!!

[colonialhk]

My guess is some country we need to watch stole the technology or bought a whole lot more than 20 and we need to test the capability.

[Enosh]

Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd.

Rafael (Raphael) means God has healed. An ironic name for a weapons manufacturer. LOL!

Selected from the Tobit, no doubt.

[sukhoi-30mki]

The P-5 is a new generation weapon,in much the same class as the AIM-9X(which probably has longer range).The Chinese Pythons are Python-3 variants,which are of late-70s vintage & sold at a time when China's was the West's darling!!Those were never a threat to the US or it's allies.Heck the PRC has got the better weapons than the P-3,the Russian AA-11 'Archer'.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Actually a lot of countries are developing or have got weapons like the P-5,including the US with it's AIM-9X & the Europeans(Germany,Sweden etc) with the IRIS-T.


As far as I know,the only country which will get a variant of the Python-5 is India & that will be part of a surface to air missile system!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[colonialhk]

Thanks good data.As I recall the system has a maneuver advantage

[Red6]

We buy all kinds of things. We buy SU27s, MIG29s, SA18 etc. We also buy weapons from allied nations all the time. Usually we do two things. We ask ourselves how do we best counter this threat, or what technology did they develop which we want to buy. Especially with Israel, the US has a lot of things cooking in the same pot: General Dynamics is in bed with Rafale for example. The Arrow missile has a lot of components on it made by Raytheon......

[Red6]

"which probably has longer range"

It's not the range that matters that much, but rather how many degrees per second that seeker can look, who has better night vision capabilities, and which missiles have better ECCM, off bore-sight......etc. The Israelis have always had a potent missile with the Python. It is not unlikely that they have something we might want to add to our newer versions of AIM9X, since even they are already being upgraded soon P3I.

[magellan]

My guess is this missile will be used (in an unarmed state) by the Air Force Aggressor squadron.

The Python probably better emulates late-model Russian air to air missiles than the U.S. Sidewinder.

[Misschuck]

But don't forget (EVER) that most of the Chinese technology level at this time is due to Bill Clinton.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT

..................

[Finalapproach29er]

America lost its masculinity a while ago.........

[Stonewall Jackson]

Isn't the US looking at the possibility of selling some F-16's to India? If so and the Indian military already has one version of the P-5, this might be a precursor for some tests to see if this could be a sales pitch to the Indian Air Force.

[sukhoi-30mki]

because it is buying missiles from Israel??????One of the ways to maintain your military edge is to study the weapons of others & if need be,buy them.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Unlikely,given that the Israelis,being India's second largest arms supplier & the world's largest export user of the F-16 can themselves put up a handy demonstration for the IAF.Any demonstration can easily be done by IAI & Lockheed Martin.The Israeli F-16I is very formidable aircraft(barring an AESA radar) & would be ideal for India.The IAF as of now only has decided to buy SAM variants of the P-5 & Derby missiles (though a purchase of AAM variants is is likely in the future).

[Stonewall Jackson]

Thanks for the info.

[rmlew]

Are we having problems with production of the AIM-9X or is the IRi recognition system of the Python 5 truly that impressive?

[rmlew]

Israel sold China the Python 3 after getting permission from the US. The Python 3 is similar to the AIM 9L. It is old tech.
The Python 5 is quite different. With a range declared to be 20km, this missle not only fired with helmet sighting, but the IR seeker supposedly locks onto the shape of the target. Flares won't trick it.

[Rameumptom]

Israel also did a lot of work on small UAV's and shared the technology with us. Friends helping freinds.

[MeanWestTexan]

"Selected from the Tobit, no doubt."

Presumably. But before firing the missle, must one burn a fish's liver and heart?

(Assuming obscure Biblical knowledge)

[Enosh]

Hehe.

That perhaps, or maybe twirl your finger around the ignition button six times, then shout "Jericho!" when firing it on the seventh. :)

[MeanWestTexan]

And welcome to FR, by the way.

[Enosh]

Thanks. I'm glad Sean mentioned this place, I've been having a lot of fun reading the op/eds after all the articles.

[Enosh]

Since I have your ear for a moment, please allow me to ask a seemingly strange question.

What is this site "blacklisted?"

When I first found it, I got a error saying that I've tried to access a prohibited web page and the incident will be reported. Nobody ever said anything, but I have to sneak around that by using an external proxy, which sucks.

I don't see what the deal is. No porn or anything like that.

[MeanWestTexan]

"What is this site "blacklisted?"

I have no idea. Certainly pornography or the like is forbidden here.

Are you behind a work or school firewall? Many liberal schools and workplaces (or some liberal IT person working therein) "jokingly" block conservative sites.

It's a big joke on Youtube to make fake complaints of "adult content" or "race hatred" against conservative bloggers so people have to register --- and thus decrease viewership.

Basically, since liberal ideas can't tolerate competition and/or the light of day, like Stalin liberals censor.

(That, or it's election day and the server was busy. :) )

[Enosh]

Yeah, it's my company's firewall that blocks it and sends the nastygram.

Okay, your idea makes more sense. The powers that be here don't want us reading conservative commentary. (CNN only in the lunch room, no Fox.)

Thanks.

[MeanWestTexan]

Get a new job.

[Southack]

The Python 5 is an anti-stealth air-to-air video-processing missile. It hits what it sees, even if you give off no radar signature.

I'll leave it up to you to decide why we would want such a missile.

[Rokke]

Our Aim-9X does the same thing. And none of these IR missiles look at radar signature. It's all heat. But we've bought small lots of missiles like this before. It is always good to have actual hands on experience with the best stuff out there.

[Southack]

The Python-5 processes video images just like people process TV images.

Older missiles just looked for a heat signature. In contrast, the Python-5 can pick out a foe flying in between friends, visually...something that defeats heat/radar stealth within visual range. One potential counter-measure is a blinding laser mounted on the rear of our fighters in order to knock out the video-sensor TV camera in the nose of such anti-stealth missiles.

And heat/radar stealth is still highly valuable at/for long-range, of course...just not so all-powerful in close any longer.