Free Republic

Outgoing IAF commander Maj. Gen. Ido Nechushtan suggested on Friday that it would be better to keep quiet on the subject of Iran and a possible Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. In a special interview with Channel 2 News, Nechushtan, who is retiring from the IDF after 37 years of service, said, “We are not commentators of this situation, we are not closely following the events. We are on the side of the solutions. We come from the side of the tools that are at the country’s disposal.” He added, “I think that some of the public discourse being...

A major Israel TV station on Sunday night broadcast a detailed report on how Israel will go about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities in the event that diplomacy and sanctions fail and Israel decides to carry out a military strike. The report, screened on the main evening news of Channel 10, was remarkable both in terms of the access granted to the reporter, who said he had spent weeks with the pilots and other personnel he interviewed, and in the fact that his assessments on a strike were cleared by the military censor. No order to strike is likely to be...

Israel Defense Forces officials told cabinet ministers on Monday that should Israel undergo a coordinated missile attack, there would be less than 300 Israeli casualties. The number was mentioned by IDF officials during a discussion in Israel's security-diplomatic cabinet, Channel 10 reported on Monday, and is far lower than the number mentioned previously by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who reportedly said that a maximum of 500 Israelis would die in such an attack. During the meeting, a senior official in the Israel Air Force told the cabinet ministers that in the event of a coordinated missile attack on Israel's home...

[Madison, Wisconsin] Gearing up for increased political activism on the cusp of a campaign to recall Governor Scott Walker, the State’s teachers’ union is being guided by the philosophy of radical leftist Saul Alinsky, the MacIver News Service has learned. On Friday and Saturday WEAC is sponsoring community organizing training seminars put on by the Industrial Areas Foundation. The IAF is a leftist community organizing network established in 1940 by Saul Alinsky. Alinsky, author of the book Rules for Radicals, remains a controversial political figure many years after his death. Opposed to many of the bloody revolutionary strategies supported by...

Lockheed Martin expects to advance its F-35 deals with Japan and Israel within the next few months, leading to combined orders for more than 60 Joint Strike Fighters. Earlier this month, company officials visited Japan to discuss the nation's planned F-X purchase of 42 F-35As, following a competitive selection made last December. Tokyo is expected to approve a letter of agreement for the deal in March, with this document likely to be signed in June, says Stephen O'Bryan, Lockheed vice-president F-35 programme integration and business development. Dismissing Japanese media reports raising concerns over a possible increase in the F-35's unit...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking about the escalation in rocket attacks in the South on Friday and Shabbat, said: “We will continue to attack anyone who tries to harm Israeli citizens.” The Palestinian Ma’an news agency reports that air strikes continue to rock the Gaza Strip, killing three men on Saturday, raising to 15 the number of Palestinians killed since Israel killed a military leader 24 hours earlier. According to the AP, an Israeli air strike killed the commander of the militant group behind the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and a second militant in Gaza on Friday in...

Israel to buy Italy's M-346 jet trainer for $1b S. Korea threatens to cancel deals because Israel did not choose its T-50 Golden Eagle. The Ministry of Defense has decided to buy the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 jet trainer for the Israel Air Force, rather than South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle, jointly developed by Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) and Lockheed Martin Company (NYSE: LMT). The ministry notified the companies of its decision, after the Air Force decided that it preferred the M-346 on the grounds that its performance was better than the T-50. The deal is worth around $1 billion....

Report: Israel will ask to station IAF jets in Cyprus Israeli officials tell Xinua news agency possibility of offshore airbase will be raised during Netanyahu's upcoming visit to neighboring island Ynet Israeli and Cypriot officials are planning to discuss allowing the Israeli Air Force to station jets in the neighboring island, Chinese news agency Xinua reported Tuesday. The issue will be raised during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Cyprus later this month, Xinua quoted Israeli officials as saying. According to the report, an Israeli embassy official told the Cyprus Mail in January that Netanyahu "will come to Cyprus...

World’s biggest French kiss - IAF picks Rafale for deal that can reshape Europe’s defence industry SUJAN DUTTA New Delhi, Jan. 31: A flying French kiss is in the air. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter jet is best suited for it. The Rafale bid was less than the price quoted by four-nation European consortium EADS Cassidian’s Eurofighter Typhoon. In a race that has lasted five years and tantalised not only India’s military establishment but also first-world countries and half-a-dozen of the globe’s largest companies, the sleek twin-engined Rafale with its ergonomic...

Just as famed Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is preparing to release results of his investigation of Barack Obama’s eligibility for Arizona’s 2012 ballot, a top-gun activist who led a successful campaign to recall a key Arpaio ally is now targeting the sheriff himself.In the coming weeks, it will be decided whether transplanted radical attorney-activist and “community organizer” Randy Parraz can force Arpaio to resign before the sheriff’s Cold Case Posse has a chance to deliver a report in February.Parraz, who has made his career applying Saul Alinsky-style community organizer tactics for radical leftist movements in the U.S. and Canada,...

IAF may buy jets used by US in Iraq By YAAKOV KATZ 26/12/2011 Advantage in purchasing military equipment, senior IDF officer explains, is in the price, which would likely be dramatically lower than buying same equipment new. Due to the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East and potential delays to existing procurement plans, the IDF is looking at the possibility of purchasing fighter jets and other platforms used by the United States military in Iraq. The advantage in purchasing military equipment used by the US in Iraq, a senior IDF officer explained, was in the price, which would likely be...

Sudanese media reports that planes attacked convoy of land cruiser jeeps, number of people reportedly killed; another strike hit truck near border with Egypt, according to reports. Sudanese media reported over the weekend that IAF planes struck a number of targets in the east of the country last week. According to the reports, the planes attacked a convoy of land cruiser jeeps and a number of people were reportedly killed. Another strike took place last Sunday against a truck near the border with Egypt, according to the reports. In another incident in early December Israeli planes were reported to have...

Israeli fighter jets, helicopters and possibly a submarine were involved in multiple attacks on targets in Sudan last week, according to local news outlets. The reports say that Israeli jets hit targets in the eastern part of the African country, near its border with Egypt, last Thursday. They hit six Land Cruiser jeeps and killed four people. An earlier strike took place last Sunday and reportedly involved Israeli helicopters. A truck was targeted. Some reports say an Israeli submarine was also spotted at the same time. However, the Sudanese army spokesman, Col. Al-Sawarmi Haled Sa'ad, said that the military's air...

At least two Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists are dead in Gaza following a targeted, surgical air strike on a vehicle by fighter pilots of the Israeli Air Force. One of the two dead was a senior operative who had coordinated numerous attacks against Israeli civilians. Both were members of a terrorist cell belonging to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades organization, according to the IDF, who added the cell had been planning to infiltrate Israel's border to carry out another attack. A Gaza Health Ministry official was quoted by the Bethlehem-based Ma'an news agency as saying that five bystanders were also...

Raytheon keen to supply missiles to IAF N. Ramakrishnan Tucson (Arizona), Nov. 11: Raytheon, the Massachusetts-headquartered Defence and security systems supplier, feels that a number of its missiles can be fitted on the aircraft that the Indian Air Force plans to buy as part of its modernisation programme. “Just last week we got an RFI (Request for Interest – the first stage of the bidding process) from the IAF for a HEAT (High Speed Expendable Aerial Target) missile,” said Mr Jeff White, Senior Programme Manager – Air Warfare Systems Business Development, Raytheon Missile Systems. Submits Request for Interest “Last night,...

IAF will add two more Israeli AWACS to its fleet NEW DELHI: India will order another two advanced Israeli Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning and control systems), or the "formidable eyes in the sky'' capable of detecting hostile aircraft, cruise missiles and other incoming aerial threat far before ground-based radars at a cost of over $800 million soon. Top defence ministry sources say the "draft contract'' for the two new AWACS "is now finally in the final stages of being examined'' before it's inked as a follow-on order to the $1.1-billion tripartite agreement among India, Israel and Russia in 2004, under...

South Korea threatens to cancel all defense deals with Israel South Korea threat comes in response to fear that Israel Air Force has decided to purchase a new training plane from rival Italy. By Amos Harel The purchase of the Israel Air Force's new training plane is causing serious diplomatic tension between Israel and South Korea: Fearing that Israel has already decided on a rival plane made in Italy, the Koreans are now threatening in return to cancel all their deals for purchasing Israeli defense systems. In recent years, the South Koreans have purchased an average of $280 million a...

10 rockets, mortal shells explode in Ehskol, Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Councils, Asheklon; no injuries; Erez border crossing damaged; 2 Islamic Jihad members killed, Palestinian report says. A ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza seemed distant Thursday evening as the violence in the south of the country continued with at least 15 rockets and mortar shells exploding in Israeli territory, and Israeli air strikes that reportedly left two Islamic Jihad members dead. The Code Red siren was heard throughout the Eshkol and Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Councils and in Ashkelon as 15 rockets and mortar shells fell throughout those areas, the IDF Spokesman's...

IDF planes attacked two terrorists in northern Gaza early Wednesday, shortly after terrorists fired two rockets at Israeli targets. The two terrorists were targeted specifically by the planes, an IDF statement said. “The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, and will respond with determination to any attempt to use terror against the State of Israel,” the IDF statement said.

Israel Air Force fighter jets eliminated a terrorist squad in northern Gaza late Saturday afternoon. Military sources confirmed a direct hit on the terrorist cell, which had apparently just finished launching a mortar attack on southern Israel. Israeli fighter pilots on Friday night attacked two terrorist tunnels, a weapons factory in southern Gaza and a terrorist training center as well. Direct hits were confirmed on all targets, and all IDF personnel returned safely to their bases. “The IDF will not tolerate any attempts to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers and will respond with determination to any attempt to use...

Copter hunt gets hotter- Race between US & Russian choppers as army, IAF weigh options SUJAN DUTTA New Delhi, Aug. 14: The army and the air force are now totting up the scores in a competition between American and Russian helicopter gunships, one of which will replace the attack copters in the Indian armed forces. The attack helicopter fleet, currently made up of ageing Soviet-origin Mi 25s and Mi 35s, is in the custody of the IAF but is meant to support land operations of the army. The IAF will initially procure 22 attack copters — either the Boeing-made AH64...

The commanders of the IDF, especially those in the Air Force, are making "increasingly loud" demands to strike Iran's nuclear program, a German news source reported Wednesday. According to Der Spiegel, the question of how Israel will eventually deal with the threat of a nuclear Iran depends in part on a battle of prestige between the military and the Mossad – the latter being in charge of assassinations, and favoring them as a result. Mossad is behind the killings of three Iranian scientists in the last 18 months, the paper claimed. A fourth scientist was wounded and subsequently appointed to...

<p>Fighter jet purported to be one of most advanced jets in world with ability to fly undetected in enemy territory; IAF pilots to train in US.</p> <p>The Israel Air Force plans to purchase a second squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters during the upcoming IDF multi-year procurement plan that is currently under review within the General Staff.</p>

India's Mirage upgrade: a prelude to a Rafale MMRCA win? It looks as if India is serious about upgrading its Dassault Mirage 2000Hs to Mirage 2000-9 standard. This is a major upgrade that will affect most systems in the aircraft. The bill, estimated at $2.2 billion, is staggering, working out to about $43 million an aircraft. One wonders if India would be better off buying new aircraft. In his MMRCA report earlier this year Ashley Tellis pegged the flyaway cost of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (with APG-79 AESA radar) at $60 million. Anyway, the timing of the upgrade (first mooted...

China Among Indian Air Force Concerns May 31, 2011 By Asia-Pacific Staff NEW DELHI — The Indian Air Force (IAF) has long had big ambitions, and the pending arrival of a new service chief with a broad agenda indicates there will be no easing up in efforts to improve the breadth of the service’s capabilities. The first major restructuring of the IAF’s order of battle, a revival of border air bases to counter Chinese air force deployments and quick acquisitions of weapons and systems to plug capability gaps will be the operational priorities of the IAF’s next chief, Air Marshal...

U.S. disappointed over IAF deal, but respects process PTI With its fighters losing out in the bid for India’s multi-billion dollar deal, the U.S. on Thursday said it was “deeply disappointed” over it but was “respectful” of the procurement process. In a statement in New Delhi, Ambassador Timothy Roemer said he had been assured at the highest levels in the Indian government that the procurement process for the fighters “has been and will be transparent and fair”. He said the U.S. looked forward to continuing to grow and develop defence partnership with India. “The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi was...

IAF losing edge over PAF Shiv Aroor & Durga Nandini New Delhi, April 20, 2011 The Pakistan Air Force is stronger than ever. Since the last Indo-Pak air war of 1971, the Pakistan Air Force has with steely determination built up numbers, lethal capabilities and a combat force now counted as one of the most disciplined and well-trained air forces in the world. Headlines Today has a disturbing proof that all this has made India worried. A recent presentation by the defence intelligence establishment paints a morbid picture of how the numbers and capability advantage that the Indian Air Force...

IDF spokesperson says attack aimed at terrorist group planning to kidnap Israelis over Passover; 3 bodies, critically injured man, reportedly brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital near Khan Younis. GAZA - Israeli aircraft killed three Palestinian gunmen, a critically wounded one, in the southern Gaza Strip early on Saturday, medical officials and the Israeli army said. Residents said the planes fired on a car in which the three men were traveling in the town of Khan Younis. According to Palestinian news source Maan, local residents of Khan Younis reported to both hearing and feeling the single-missile strike. An Israeli military spokesman...

They will stop at nothing… The International Association of Firefighters is using tasteless images from the Oklahoma City Bombing to fight a state bill which changes how public safety labor unions and cities handle contract disputes. Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, March 24, 2011, 12:02 PM They will stop at nothing… The International Association of Firefighters is using tasteless images from the Oklahoma City Bombing to fight a state bill which changes how public safety labor unions and cities handle contract disputes. NewsOK reported: A state senator today blasted a firefighter union television advertisement as “horrific and tasteless” for...

Israelis debating value of F-35s amid problems affecting delivery TEL AVIV — Israel expects additional delays in the Joint Strike Fighter program. The Institute for National Security Studies asserted that problems in the U.S. F-35 program would affect the delivery schedule for Israel. In a report, author Yiftah Shapir pointed to a U.S. decision to postpone the target date for the F-35A and F-35C to at least 2016. "This change will undoubtedly affect the date of delivery of the planes to Israel," the report, titled "The F-35 Deal: An Enlightened Purchase?" said. Authored by Yiftah Shapir, the report questioned the...

US pushes deal, secrecy hitch on IAF screen SUJAN DUTTA New Delhi, Feb. 21: The US’s strong pitch to sell its fighter aircraft to India for an estimated $12 billion has run into a hurdle with the Indian Air Force telling the government that it does not favour the signing of agreements that risk compromising its operational secrecy. Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik said in Yelahanka earlier this month that price negotiations for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal could start as early as next month and a contract would be signed by September. The setting of a...

EMBRAER UNVEILS THE NEW EMB 145 AEW&C PLATFORM DEVELOPED FOR THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT It is the first of three aircraft that will incorporate the DRDO-developed surveillance equipment São José dos Campos, February 21, 2011 – Embraer presented the first of three EMB 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platforms, today, to representatives of the Indian government at a ceremony held at its headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Based on the proven Embraer ERJ 145 regional jet, the aircraft features an in-flight refueling system, SATCOM capability, a significant increase in electrical and cooling capacities, and a comprehensive set...

A broader concept and theology of ministry was emerging from Vatican II, one which gave new status and recognition to lay Catholics. The role of the clergy within this emerging theology was less than clear and a massive exodus from the priesthood began. In the U.S. an estimated 3,413 priests resigned from diocesan and religious priesthood between 1966 and 1993.(29) The departure of large numbers of men and women religious paralleled the departure from the priesthood.(30) Thus the acculturation of U.S. Catholics occurred amid a time of profound uncertainty, crisis, and change. The Impact of Vatican II For U.S. Catholics,...

Rolls Royce, Honeywell may enter fray to sell IAF engines Rolls Royce and Honeywell Aerospace are expected to submit proposals for fitting new engines to Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar aircraft by March-April Bhargavi Kerur & Aman Malik Bangalore/New Delhi: Rolls Royce and Honeywell Aerospace are expected to submit proposals for fitting new engines to Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar aircraft by March-April, according to three people with knowledge of the situation. The requests for proposal (RFPs) for new engines on the deep penetration strike aircraft (DPSA) were issued towards the end of November or early December, they said. Jaguars...

US may allow India to acquire its fifth generation jets PTI, Jan 28, 2011, 05.36am IST WASHINGTON: The US is open to Indian participation in its Joint Strike Fighter programme that would finally lead to its purchase of fifth generation F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, a top Pentagon official said Thursday. "There is nothing on our side, no principle which bars that on our side, Indian participation in the Joint Strike Fighter. Right now, they're focused on these aircraft which are top-of-the-line fourth-gen fighters," under secretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics Ashton Carter said. Headed to India in...

IAF Jaguar Fleet to be Equipped with ASRAAM Missile 26 January 2011 The Indian Air Force Jaguar fleet is to be equipped with MBDA's advanced short-range air-to-air missile (ASRAAM) to provide both short and within-visual-range protection. The weapon system is an operational capability enhancement that would enable a Jaguar pilot to see, engage and kill the target before it had the chance to respond. The missile's ability to fire upwards to a very high altitude is ideally suited to Jaguar's mission as the aircraft operates at a lower altitude than an in-coming threat. Currently, the missile is fully operational on...

IAF to get midair refueling tanker By YAAKOV KATZ 21/01/2011 Capability needed for possible strike on Iran; Boeing 707 will be converted into a midair refueling tanker. Bracing for a possible confrontation with Iran, the IAF is set to receive a major boost to its long-range capabilities later this month with the expected arrival of a Boeing 707 that will be converted into a midair refueling tanker. The air force bought the plane several months ago and it will be sent to Israel Aerospace Industries, where it will be reconfigured. RELATED: As Iran talks begin, Israel urges forceful action IAF...

IAF looks to Korea, Italy for training aircraft By YAAKOV KATZ 12/30/2010 02:10 Pilot school cadets would use trainers before advancing to combat jets. The Israel Air Force has issued an official request for information from Korean and Italian aerospace companies for new training aircraft that pilot school cadets would use before advancing to combat jets. The request was issued several weeks ago after it was delayed due to the Antitrust Authority’s concerns that a proposal for leading industries to buy the aircraft and lease them to the air force was illegal. The two leading candidates to replace the Skyhawk...

December 17, 2010 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The Israeli air force yesterday shot down what seems to have been a balloon that flew over the country's secretive Dimona nuclear reactor site. An army spokeswoman confirmed an object, "probably a balloon", was shot down after being detected in the area of the southern Dead Sea, which is near the reactor. There were reports the military was checking if the object was on a photographic mission of the installation. Some reports said the balloon had a motor. Israel's Negev Nuclear Research Centre, which is closed to international inspection and where Israel is...

India signs Sensor Fused Weapon deal By Craig Hoyle Textron Defense Systems has been awarded a $258 million contract to supply India with 512 of its CBU-105 Sensor Fused Weapons. Announced on 8 December, the Foreign Military Sales deal also includes the provision of 44 training units to the Indian air force. So far, the US Air Force has assigned $126 million of the total contract value, the Department of Defense says. The sale was first outlined by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in a September 2008 notification to Congress. At that time, it was projected as likely to...

Man injured in mortar attack airlifted to Soroka Hospital after sustaining light wounds; attack follows warning by Ashkenazi that security situation along Gaza border "very fragile, may deteriorate rapidly." The Israeli Air Force early Thursday morning struck three terror sites in the Gaza Strip, responding to a barrage of mortar shells fired Wednesday night in which one Israeli man was wounded. The IDF spokesperson said that the air strikes targeted a weapons facility in central Gaza and two centers of terrorist activity in the northern Strip. Four to five mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip into the Eshkol...

Israel completes new upgrade on first F-16 By Arie Egozi The Israeli air force has completed work to upgrade its first Lockheed Martin F-16C/D to the "Barak 2020" configuration. The programme involves equipping the strike aircraft with a new head-up display, digital debriefing system and other undisclosed capability enhancements. Modifications are being performed at the squadron level, under the supervision of the air force's main technical unit number 22 - its central maintenance depot. Further work will be conducted to upgrade simulators for the F-16C/D to incorporate the new systems. Israel's air force plans to phase out its F-16A/Bs in...

No room for error - Israeli fighter jocks mimic enemy dogfighters by Gur Salomon JERUSALEM, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Several Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-16 Fighting Falcon jets are patrolling the skies over the Uvda Airbase on an interception mission far above the Negev Desert hinterlands. Just as they spot the enemy, lock on and ready for battle, enemy F-16s unexpectedly swoop down on their tails. Later on, while the pilots - members of an IAF squadron on a week-long training deployment at Uvda - are concentrating on bombing a ground target, they are notified that one of their colleagues...

The IDF spokesperson's unit on Wednesday confirmed that during a joint operation with general security forces an Army of Islam official, Aslam Yassin, was killed during a targeted assassination. Yassin was a resident of Jablia in the northern Gaza Strip and was a senior member of the radical Palestinian terror group affiliated with al-Qaida and involved in the 2006 abduction of Gilad Schalit. In recent days Yassin personally worked on carrying out a terrorist attack involving kidnapping Israelis of Sinai, the IDF statement read. Earlier on Wednesday Palestinians reported that a car explosion had killed one person and wounded four...

Second squadron of F-35s is ‘an offer hard to refuse’ By YAAKOV KATZ 11/15/2010 02:06 Defense officials say arrival of joint strike fighters was of critical importance for the security of the State of Israel. Top IDF officers and Defense Ministry officials claimed Sunday that the arrival of a second squadron of F-35 joint strike fighters was of critical importance for the security of the State of Israel. In an effort to convince the Netanyahu government to impose a three-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank, the Obama administration offered Israel last week a long list of security...

After months of deliberations, the IDF has decided to store the Iron Dome anti-rocket system at an air force base in the center of the country and to deploy it only in cases of extreme rocket fire from either the Gaza Strip or southern Lebanon, senior military sources said on Sunday. The decision was made ahead of the planned announcement that Iron Dome had reached “initial operational capability,” initially scheduled for this month. On Sunday, top IDF officers told The Jerusalem Post that the initial operational capability would be postponed until the first quarter of 2011. The delay, the officers...

Reported 3-year delay in F-35 program may impact delivery By YAAKOV KATZ 11/03/2010 04:52 Less than a month after Israel signs contact to purchase squadron of stealth F-35 fighter jet, an internal review may affect delivery to the IAF. Less than a month after Israel signed a multibillion-dollar contract to purchase a squadron of stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), the Pentagon revealed on Tuesday that an internal review of the development program had concluded that delivery of the plane would be delayed by three years. On Tuesday, the Pentagon’s Defense Acquisition Board submitted a report to Secretary of Defense...

NEW DELHI: India will eventually spend over $25 billion to induct 250 advanced stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), on way to being co-developed with Russia, in what will be the country's biggest-ever defence project. With a potent mix of super-manoeuvrability and supersonic cruising ability, long-range strike and high-endurance air defence capabilities, each FGFA will cost upwards of Rs 450 crore or around $100 million. This will be in addition to the huge investment to be made in co-developing FGFA with cash-strapped Russia, as also the huge infrastructure required to base, operate and maintain such jets in India. "We are looking...

'US arms aid reducing technological gap between IAF, PAF' New Delhi: Terming US arms aid to Pakistan as a challenge, India on Friday said the latest F-16s, missiles and munition being supplied to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) could "reduce the technological gap" with the IAF. "It (US arms aid) is certainly a challenge, no doubt about that," IAF's Western Air Command chief Air Marshal N A K Browne told a press conference here. "Earlier the difference of assets was a certain amount. But their acquisitions have seen to have reduced (the gap) between the PAF and IAF in terms of...

"Rocket fire prompts IDF strike on Gaza" SNIPPET: "IAF targets two weapon caches in northern, southern Strip following ongoing rocket fire on Israel's south" SNIPPET: "Israel Air Force jets struck two Gaza targets overnight, following yet another day of continuous rocket fire on Israel's south. Fighter jets targeted two weapons warehouses in southern and northern Gaza in the early hours of Thursday morning. The IDF Spokesman's Unit said the pilots confirmed hitting their targets before safely returning to their base. No injuries were reported among the Palestinians at this time."