Posted on 07/01/2002 10:04:21 PM PDT by Destro
Report: China using Israeli 'Harpys'
From the International Desk
Published 7/2/2002 12:39 AM
WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- China has deployed Israeli-made anti-radar weapons opposite Taiwan, the Washington Times reported Tuesday.
U.S. intelligence spotted several Israeli-made "Harpy" drone weapons engaged in large-scale exercises in southern Fujian province opposite
Taiwan, the Times quoted defense officials as saying.
"The Chinese were observed moving them close to the coast," one official said.
The official declined to say how many weapons had been seen.
The Harpy, a pilotless drone weapon equipped with anti-radar sensors and a bomb, flies near a target radar for up to two hours and when illuminated by electronic waves is guided to the target and explodes.
Intelligence officials told the Times China's Harpys had anti-radar bomb systems.
China has been engaged in large-scale military exercises near Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province.
Israeli and CIA officials refused to comment on the Times report.
According to the Times, the propeller-driven Harpy system has a 6-foot wingspan and is 7 feet long. It can loiter over a target for more than 2 hours before attacking. It has a range of up to 210 miles and a high-explosive warhead weighing about 48 pounds.
Last week, Beijing test-fired a new Russian-made air-to-air missile, which gives China a new edge in its standoff with Taiwan.
Copyright © 2002 United Press International
But here's something amazing: I've a friend who teaches adult education in NY's Chinatown. Class full of Chinese immigrants, from the mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan. When China retook Hong Kong -- even the anti-Communist Hong Kong students were thrilled. They felt "great national pride" over China regaining its territory.
I've little doubt that many Taiwanese will accept merger with the mainland. It will be slow and painless, and greased with national pride.
Ethnic/tribal loyalties are a powerful force -- in Asia, in the Mideast, in Eastern Europe, everywhere. That's why assimilation is curcial to US survival. Immigrants' national pride must be directed to the US, or it will be directed elsewhere.
I think that Israel has made a stupid mistake by trying to bribe the Chicoms. It hasn't worked and is undermining Israel's security.
With people like that, who don't even have the slightest idea of the implications, or even how China works, or why they even fight, there might be a possibility of some ignorant idiot allowing that to happen.
That's true. For over 150 years the anti-British movement had never stopped in Hong Kong before it was turned back to China.
As far as the "everybody does it excuse" is concerned, America did not give those countries billions of dollars to develop their weapons industries. But then, they weren't threatening to go nuclear on someone if we didn't.
It does not tell the whole story. It also depends on whom one is talking to.
Years before Hong Kong was even handed over there was a huge influx of people outward. Anyone with money and common sense applied for visas in the US, Australia, Canada, Europe, etc.
To say there is a ringing endorsement of China is not quite true. Take a peek at any of the coverage of the 5 year handover anniversary.
There is also a phenomenon I saw billed as 'sina-ization' of Hong Kong...
The Communist Party and any other feudal dynasty works a certain way. They prop themselves up.
I know student after student... and they know there is nothing they can do so might as well be happy about it. Also, the average student now has been trained how to think about things. A college student today might only have been 13 or 14 years old when the handover took place... and it was built up to for years before then.
While there are some partisans who only see blue skies ahead, that does not tell the whole story. After seeing what happened to Hong Kong after reversion, Taiwan is going to be even less willing to play ball.
Likely true. Hasn't China funneled some of that technology to Iran?
As far as the "everybody does it excuse" is concerned, America did not give those countries billions of dollars to develop their weapons industries. But then, they weren't threatening to go nuclear on someone if we didn't.
Israel is already nuclear. What are you talking about. The US has helped South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Italy, and Greece.
Darn right Israel should have nukes, plenty of them, and let the Muslims know they will be used if Israel is attacked with weapons of mass destruction. I hope Mecca and Medina and Qum are on the hit list. This is what keeps the Muslim hordes at bay. Get lost you if you think Israel should make itself vulnerable to a mass attack. The world just don't work that way.
Yes, it is a mistake. Weapons producers have to export to keep the plants running. That is normal and some blowback is expected. But Mugabe is beyond the pale. What's a $105 million to Israel's defense industry? Not worth the bad PR, that is for sure.
No. The problem is how Israel got them and how they have leveraged having them to create an arms exporting industry which often works contrary to the interests of the United States. We really don't need Israeli engineers advising Chinese Communists how to build their J-10 fight planes. After all, America provided those engineers with hundreds of millions of dollars and information on our F-016 so they could build an Israeli fighter jet, not a ChiCom one.
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.