Israel deploys Patriot defense missiles, fearing Hezbollah retaliation

AP ^

[maquiladora]

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel has deployed a battery of U.S.-made Patriot air defense missiles near the northern port city of Haifa as part of precautions against a possible attack by Lebanon's Hezbollah in response to the assassination last week of the group's top commander, Israeli security officials said Monday.

The officials said the battery was put on standby Sunday for the first time since Israel's monthlong war with Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, when the Lebanese guerrillas fired nearly 4,000 rockets into northern Israel.

The Israeli military said it was not its policy to comment on what a spokesman called operational readiness.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel is prepared on all fronts for an attack.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

[F15Eagle]

PAC-3’s I assume?

I know they had PAC-2’s and PAC-3’s.

Are they short of Arrows or do they consider them operationally a bit different?

This must be for against Hizbollah drones.

[Army Air Corps]

Pingaroo

[Army Air Corps]

This must be for against Hizbollah drones

I don't think they'll be used against Hezbollah's members. ;-)

[maquiladora]

The fact that these were only deplopyed yesterday and not straight after the incident indicate they are being deployed based on fresh intel.

Could also be deployed with an eye to Syrian missiles, not just Hezbollah.

I don't know if they are PAC-3.

[F15Eagle]

They could strap them to them and give them free rides.

Sorta like True Lies and the Harrier's Sidewinder

[PGalt]

BTTT!

[F15Eagle]

Boy Syria would have to have a death wish to launch their many, many SCUD’s at Israel. Especially if they have gas or bio in them.

I mean, it would be like they belonged to a death cult that ...

oh wait ... :)

Wars and rumors of wars ...

[txflake]

bump

[maquiladora]

Saw this on Ynet earlier and thought it might be related :

Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel, who serves as head of the "round table for emergency situations of the Jewish people," called the body's members, including Jewish Agency Chairman Ze'ev Bielski and several Foreign Ministry officials, for a meeting Sunday night.

[Army Air Corps]

I wonder how much of this is in response to Syria’s recent missile test? I didn’t get to read much about it on FR, so I do not know the particulars of the Syrian missile test (range, portability, warhead, etc).

[richardtavor]

arrows are reserved for the larger rockets..Patriots are designed for short range, smaller missiles (when used against Hussein’s scuds, they were ineffective.

[F15Eagle]

I imagine they’re worried about Syria in the wake of this assassination. I didn’t know Syria just tested a missile though.

[Army Air Corps]

I heard a brief bit about a test a couple of weeks ago. I did not get info on the type, range, or portability of the missile.

[F15Eagle]

Of course those were PAC-2’s used against Saddam. The PAC-3 is much improved.

Thanks for the info though.

[F15Eagle]

And Israel just put in a new chief of IDF or IAF. Can’t remember which.

[Army Air Corps]

I did a search. The story is that Syria is developing a surface-to-surface missile with technical help from Iran.

[jhpigott]

ping

[maquiladora]

New Syrian missile can pinpoint Israeli targets

By Stan Goodenough February 08, 2008

With the assistance of its ally Iran, Syria has developed a new, more precisely-guided surface-to-surface missile with an improved ability to hit strategic Israeli targets.

This was the top story Friday on the website of the Israeli daily Ha'aretz - a leftist publication that normally plays down Arab aggression and insists that the countries surrounding Israel are interested in making peace with the Jewish state.

According to the report, senior Israeli ministers were recently appraised of this latest threat to their nation's security, which comprises an upgraded Iranian ZelZal missile with a 250 km range and able to carry exceptionally large payloads.

Israeli installations likely to be targeted with the rocket include airports, ports and factories.

The news comes at a time "when Israeli defense sources have expressed growing concern at the rearmament program of the Syrian armed forces, which is mostly being supplied by arms transfers from Russia,' Ha'aretz said.

[jhpigott]

deploying the PACs is no small measure

it appears something may be in the pike

also wouldn’t be surprised to see a full scale ground op in Gaza if the flag goes up with Hez

[waimea.man]

Didn’t the US also park an Aegis cruiser (missile defense ship) nearby Israel recently? In fact, it was not too long before the killing of Mughniyah I believe.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“Could also be deployed with an eye to Syrian missiles, not just Hezbollah.”

With satellite technology and good humint I would think that any move by Syria would have already been picked up.

[maquiladora]

USS San Jacinto docked in Haifa for a few days in early Feb.

[squidly]

The USS San Jacinto, CG-56, was in Haifa this month. Not sure if it is still in the vicinity.

[F15Eagle]

A modified Shahab-3 it appears. Interesting.

[waimea.man]

The USS San Jacinto, CG-56, was in Haifa this month. Not sure if it is still in the vicinity.

It would be interesting to know where it is now. (Of course if you do know, don't tell - loose lips sink ships.)

[AU72]

It appears that something is going down real soon.

[Mossad1967]

Something is going to happen in short order. The deployment must have been based on fresh intel.

[uncbob]

Well it is going to be interesting to see what Hillary and Obama’s positions are when the fecal matter hits the revolving blades

[txflake]

The USS San Jacinto - lots of meaning in that name to we Texans.

[Army Air Corps]

Especially for those of us who have ancestors who were there...

[sam_paine]

deploying the PACs is no small measure

Howdya figure? It's a totally mobile system in trucks that can be deployed within hours.

[blam]

"arrows are reserved for the larger rockets..Patriots are designed for short range, smaller missiles (when used against Hussein’s scuds, they were ineffective.

I believe it was the Israelis who discovered the Patriots had a timing/clock problem that caused the problem against Saddam's SCUDS. Anyway, it was corrected.

[maquiladora]

To be honest I’m not sure the San Jacinto visit is related or not, it docked at Haifa on Feb 4 and left on Feb 7.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

From the February 4, 2008, "Jerusalem Post" --

"An American missile ship set to dock at Haifa Port on Monday is equipped with an anti-missile defense system that could be deployed in the region in the event of an Iranian missile attack against Israel.

The USS San Jacinto is an AEGIS cruiser in the Ticonderoga Class and was commissioned in 1988. It carries the most advanced underwater surveillance system available today and is equipped with the AEGIS missile defense system, which was developed by Lockheed Martin to protect against aircraft and missiles. The ship will remain in Haifa for three days.

While the IDF developed and operates the Arrow missile defense system, defense officials said Israel has expressed interest in the AEGIS and that last year, the Defense Ministry requested information on the system from the Pentagon. During the first Gulf War in 1991, the US deployed Patriot missile batteries in Israel to defend the country against Iraqi Scud missiles.

"It is possible that one day, if we are under attack, the US will send these ships to the region to help defend us," a defense official said. "Until then, it is important that we get to know the system, its capabilities and its interoperability with our systems."

The San Jacinto can launch long-range surface-to-surface Tomahawk cruise missiles, rocket torpedoes and standard surface-to-air missiles. The heart of the AEGIS system is the SPY-1A radar system, which is capable of detecting and tracking any aircraft or missile flying within 320 kilometers. The ship has participated in operations in Iraq and Bosnia.

Defense analysts said the decision to dock at Haifa could also be part of a growing competition between the United States and Russia over military control in the Middle East. Russia recently decided to reestablish its naval presence in the region at Tartus, Syria. In recent months, Syria has begun renovations at the port to facilitate the docking of large Russian Navy ships."

[samadams2000]

So they have defense covered, what is their offensive plan, you know the one that rids the threat forever.?.

[Mossad1967]

Hezbollah’s Katyusha Rockets are about 2ft long and 4inches in diameter.

The Patriot missile is ten times larger and designed to take out large sub orbital and ballistic missiles.

For use against Iran or Syria perhaps?

[blam]

San Jacinto Momument

The San Jacinto Monument is a 570-foot (173.7 m) high column located in Harris County, Texas, United States, near the cities of La Porte and Baytown.[1]. It is topped with a 220-ton star that commemorates the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. The monument, dedicated on April 21, 1939, is the world's tallest monument tower, and masonry tower, and is part of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, located along the Houston Ship Channel. The column is an octagonal shaft faced with Texas Cordova shellstone, topped with a 34-foot (10 m) Lone Star - the symbol of Texas."

It's near the city of Houston (Which was previously named Allen's Landing), and is named for Sam Houston.

[txflake]

Did you look at the Mughniyeh/Green Helmet Guy ping yet? There’s some resemblance, but the eyes differ.

[maquiladora]

Hezbollah’s Katyusha Rockets are about 2ft long and 4inches in diameter.

They have more than just Katyushas. They have longer range Fajr variants and Zelzal-2 missiles from Iran that can reach Tel Aviv. Those are just the ones we know about.

[Southack]

It’s not about Katyushas, but rather, the Patriots are guarding against either an Iranian launch or a large, explosives-laden drone.

Wouldn’t have much time to scramble F-16’s for that, so ground defenses are more practical for a long alert.

[Mossad1967]

True. Good point.

[blam]

Hezbollah Will Soon Destroy Israel, Says Iran Guards

[Army Air Corps]

Yep. Very similar indeed.

[richardtavor]

That is all right. The failure of the Patriot missles led to the invention of the Arrow missle. The Israeli Ambassador to the US at the time of the Gulf War I was asked how many Patriot hit their targets and he replied at the time, out of courtesy, a few. Later he admitted that none of them struck their targets. Hopefully the Pac 3 has corrected some of the problems. the Arrow certainly has.

[txflake]

I put some more pics on that thread.

[KTM rider]

"I did a search. The story is that Syria is developing a surface-to-surface missile with technical help from Iran. " ( from China through middle man Iran ? ) China probably has the "good stuff" and would have me concerned

[jhpigott]

i guess it would be more accurate to say - “its not something the Israelis do every day, so if they are deploying the Patriots, intel likely suggests a probability of atack”

[jhpigott]

It appears the Saudis may think something is soon in the offing as well

Saudis advised to avoid Lebanon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7251346.stm

Tense political rivalries have worsened recently
Saudi Arabia has warned its citizens to avoid visiting Lebanon as the country passes through its worst security and political crisis for decades.
A foreign ministry statement also urged caution to those already in Lebanon.

Riyadh is a key backer of Lebanon’s pro-Western government. Past years have seen hundreds of thousands of Saudis visiting the country for holidays.

The numbers fell sharply after a series of political assassinations and the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanon is in the grip of political instability as the government and opposition are deadlocked over the appointment of a new president, a position vacant since November.

Some members of Lebanon’s pro-Syrian opposition have accused Saudi Arabia of obstructing progress towards resolving the deadlock.

In the past three weeks, tension between the two sides has erupted into street clashes.

The temperature was raised last week with the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in Damascus, prompting threats of a new war with Israel.

“The Foreign Ministry advises Saudi citizens against travelling to Lebanon in view of the political and unstable security conditions that Lebanon is going through,” the statement said.

Analysts said the warning might be based on intelligence or it could signal that Riyadh sees no prospect of a negotiated settlement.

[teeman8r]

isaiha 17.

teeman8r