Vorsprung durch technik - Israel’s Rafael Has Developed an ‘Iron Dome’ for Ships

Israel’s Rafael Has Developed an ‘Iron Dome’ for Ships. (Algemeiner).

The Israeli high-tech arms manufacturer, Rafael, is set to unveil the maritime version of a hugely successful anti-missile interceptor at this week’s prestigious Euronaval trade show in Paris, which opens Monday.

“The C-Dome interceptor is extremely agile, with a high rate-of-turn that enables interception of even the most maneuverable targets,” according to Rafael, Defense News said.

Iron Dome’s radar-guided Tamir interceptors downed over 750 of the over 4,000 mortar rounds and short and medium-range Kassam, Grad, and M-75 rockets Palestinian terrorists fired at populated areas within Israel during this summer’s Operation Protective Edge, according to the IDF.

Up to 10 of the missiles can fit into one firing container. The system, unlike the land-based version, utilizes the ship’s own defensive radar.

Rafael officials said the Israeli navy is among potential users.

Uzi Rubin, who headed the Israel Missile Defense Organization, told Defense News that he was a staunch supporter of the seaborne version of Iron Dome.

“There’s no reason why its unprecedented, combat validated capabilities should not be leveraged for intercepts at sea,” he said.

On October 13, it was revealed by Israel’s Ch. 2 News that the Israel navy had held a trial of the similar Barak 8 sea-to-air missile, aimed to hit and destroy a Russian Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile.

The Yakhont flies at close to the speed of sound close to sea-level, making it very hard to hit; Israeli defense sources have said the weapon threatens Israel’s offshore oil and gas drilling rigs.

In July of 2013, the Israeli military allegedly destroyed a warehouse in Syria which contained the Russian weapons, although it is unclear if all the munitions were destroyed.

During the war against Hezbollah in 2006, a Yakhont hit the INS Hanit, killing four crewmembers.Hmmm.....Israel will need this with Turkey's 'gas' ambitions. Read the full story at The Algemeiner Journal

IDF chief: We're ready for ground offensive, awaiting cabinet's orders.

IDF chief: We're ready for ground offensive, awaiting cabinet's orders. (YnetNews).

IDF chief: We're ready for ground offensive, awaiting cabinet's orders 'Nothing is stopping us from moving forward,' Gantz says, adding that Hamas is 'understanding it has made a big mistake. Gaza is sinking to its doom.

"Nothing is stopping us from moving forward," Gantz said during a tour of a Paratroopers training base. "The IDF is not waiting for the last straw to go on a ground offensive, it's waiting on political instruction."

Terrorists "in Gaza are understanding that they've made a big mistake. In four days we've been intelligently using our offensive means while remembering that there are civilians there that Hamas has turned into hostages," Gantz said. "Gaza is slowly sinking to its doom."

The chief of staff noted that "the air offensive is excellent and we have intelligence that works. We have what to attack, and we will intensify the attacks. We've yet to exhaust our offensive capabilities."

Gantz went on to say that "strategically, Gaza needs to choose whether it's heading for a calm or to a security catastrophe."

On the threat from Hamas, Gantz said, "Hamas has been getting stronger over the years. Thousands of rockets were hit (in IDF attacks) and they tried to fire hundreds of rockets and were unsuccessful, while dozens were intercepted."

The IDF chief also stressed that "the Iron Dome cannot provide complete protection" and cautioned that this military campaign must be viewed "in a level-headed, non-hysteric manner."

"We have long days of fighting ahead of us," Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri sounded a defiant note, when asked about Yaalon's remarks. "Our backs are to the wall and we have nothing to lose," he said. "We are ready to battle until the end."

Deputy head of the Hamas political bureau and executive organization in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, spoke to Palestinian media Friday saying, "We aren't afraid from the enemy's threats. The blood of the leaders is no more important than the blood of the children and families."

He addressed Israel and said, "Stop your war crimes against our people because your aggression will fail to achieve its objectives.

Our people will be victorious no matter the number of victims or the number of threats... Our people are united and support the resistance in an unprecedented manner."Hmmm.....Time to get rid of hamas once and for all. Read the full story here.

Video - CNN's Jake Tapper Destroys Fomer PLO spokeswoman

HT: Carl In Jerusalem.

PM Netanyahu speaks with Ban, Cameron, Merkel, Hollande, Harper — but not 'Staunchest Ally' Obama

PM Netanyahu speaks with Ban, Cameron, Merkel, Hollande, Harper — but not 'Staunchest Ally' Obama. (ToI).

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to a host of world leaders since the launch of Operation Protective Edge, all of whom reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Gaza. However, he had not spoken to US President Barack Obama as of early Thursday afternoon, Israel-time.

Since the recent conflagration with Gaza, Netanyahu has held phone conversations with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, officials said Thursday.

Netanyahu also spoke to US Secretary of State John Kerry, but has so far held no conversations with senior White House officials, including Obama or Mideast adviser Philip Gordon, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Gordon, a special adviser to Obama and the White House’s Middle East coordinator, was in Israel and the West Bank earlier this week. According to State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, Gordon met “with key decision makers on both sides.”

These included Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas; however, no meeting with Netanyahu was requested. “Gordon met with his opposite numbers from the Israeli national security team,”  the official said.

In Netanyahu’s conversations with world leaders, which were often but not always initiated by Jerusalem, the international community condemned Gaza rockets attacks and asserted Israel’s right to defend itself.

Cameron, for instance, “strongly condemned the appalling attacks being carried out by Hamas against Israeli civilians.” He assured Netanyahu of London’s “staunch support for Israel in the face of such attacks, and underlined Israel’s right to defend itself from them,” according to a statement his office released.

Canada’s Harper “reiterated Canada’s steadfast support for Israel and its right to defend itself against these terror attacks,” his official website states. He agreed with Netanyahu that “Hamas must end its targeted attacks on Israeli citizens.”Read the full story here.

Israel says Iron Dome scores 90 percent rocket interception rate.

Israel says Iron Dome scores 90 percent rocket interception rate. (Taz).

Israel's Iron Dome interceptor has shot down some 90 percent of Palestinian rockets it engaged during this week's surge of Gaza fighting, up from the 85 percent rate in the previous mini-war of 2012, Israeli and U.S. officials said on Thursday.

Seven batteries of the system, made by the state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd and partly funded by Washington, have been rotated around Israel to tackle unprecedented long-range salvoes by Hamas guerrillas, Reuters reported.

Rafael said it had been working on improvements to Iron Dome, which is designed to fire guided missiles at rockets that threaten to hit populated areas while ignoring others.

There have been few injuries and no fatalities from rockets that hit towns or cities - results that also reflect Israel's extensive investment in air raid sirens and shelters.

"We've been constantly fine-turning the programming of the system, including during the fighting. Our engineers are on the ground, with the military crews, analyzing each interception and making adjustments to get the best results," said a Rafael spokesman.

Uzi Rubin, an Israeli missile expert, also credited accrued experience in using the system which was first deployed in 2011.

"Iron Dome's successes are the result of a variety of factors, including practice, and the rates could get even better," Rubin said. But given the 10 percent failure rate, he cautioned Israelis against complacency, saying "Even the best-maintained car eventually gets a flat tire."

An Israeli air force officer said that the system had had "approximately 90 percent" success since violence escalated sharply on Tuesday.

A U.S. official who monitors the system's performance said of the Israeli finding: "We believe that to be very close."

Israel said that of more than 320 rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, at least 72 were intercepted while most of the rest fell harmlessly in open areas.

At least 71 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli military strikes since Tuesday, Gaza officials said.

Iron Dome was initially billed as providing city-sized coverage against Katyusha-style rockets with ranges of between 5 km (3 miles) and 70 km (42 miles).

Addressing a Tel Aviv conference hosted by Israel Defense magazine on Monday, Avi Serfaty, deputy general manager of Iron Dome radar manufacturer Elta, said the system could now provide defense at distances of up to 150 km (95 miles), potentially allowing more versatile use of batteries deployed nationwide.

Elta is a subsidiary of state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries.

Since Tuesday, Hamas and other Gaza guerrillas have launched rockets as far as 115 km (73 miles), threatening Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, northern Haifa port, the holy city of Jerusalem and a nuclear reactor in the southern town of Dimona.

Some of the long-range rockets have been Syrian- and Iranian-supplied M302s with 144 kg (317 lb) warheads, Israeli experts say, while others are locally made M-75 rockets with much smaller explosive payloads.

Israeli officials have warned against so-called "Iron Dome tourism", where the public, reassured by the system's performance, watch interceptions rather than taking cover.

"It's the Season of Giving" - Congress triples Obama’s request on defense cooperation with Israel.

"It's the Season of Giving" - Congress triples Obama’s request on defense cooperation with Israel.(JTA).

The final version of the congressional defense budget triples the Obama administration’s request for funding for joint U.S.-Israel defense cooperation.

The $284 million in the budget released jointly on Dec. 10 by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate budget committees – up from the $96 million requested by the Obama administration – includes funding for the Arrow long-range anti-missile system and the David’s Sling and Iron Dome missile defense systems.

The full National Defense Authorization Act for 2014 is virtually assured passage.Defense cooperation funding, to which Israel contributes, is separate from the $3.1 billion Israel receives in defense assistance as part of a 10-year package.

  Separately, the House on Wednesday passed a bill by a 399-0 vote that would enhance the U.S. commitment to Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region. The bill, initiated by Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), increases the frequency that the president must report to Congress on the maintenance of Israel’s advantage from every four years to every two years. It also adds requests for reports on cyber security and asymmetric warfare.Read the full story here.