Armée Israélienne / Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Rappel du premier message :

inanc a écrit:

GlaivedeSion a écrit:

Le hezbollah a confirmé que le drone lui appartenait et qu'il était de fabrication iranienne,je pense que c'est une provocation délibéré visant a crée une guerre ou du moin une escalade de quelques jours pour faire une diversion par rapport a la guerre en syrie et la crise économique que connait l'iran du aux sanctions.

Est-il envisagé une quelconque réaction de la part de votre armée ?

L'armée a envoyé des avions et des hélicoptères survolés le liban et simuler des raids,rien de plus.
nous ne sommes pas tombés dans leurs pièges(hezbollah+iran+syrie) déjà qu'ils ont pas réussie déclencher une guerre avec la turquie,c'est pas nous qui allons leurs fournir des excuses.

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Israel boosts anti-UAS defences

The Israeli air force is adapting some of its systems and adding others, to be ready for a wide unmanned air systems attack on targets inside the country in a future military confrontation.

The service pointed to the threat for the first time when Brig Gen Shachar Shohat, head of its defence command, addressed a conference in Tel Aviv in mid-March.

UAS flew into Israeli airspace from Lebanon on at least two occasions in 2012 and 2013, apparently on photography missions and in attempt to probe air defences. Both were shot down by air force fighter aircraft.

Israeli sources say the threat, especially from Lebanon, may range from radio-controlled drones carrying a small explosive load to UAS carrying payloads of hundreds of kilogrammes. According to well informed sources, Israel believes that the Hezbollah organisation in Lebanon has already received some heavy UAS made in Iran.

Preparing the air force to respond to such platforms includes the use of systems that can detects small UAS before they cross the border, and others that can shoot them down immediately after detection.

While the main UAS threat is from Lebanon, the air force also takes into account a similar threat from the Gaza strip. At this stage Hamas militants are using rockets, but Iran may potentially also try to supply some types of unmanned aircraft to the organisation, sources suggest.

On 12 March, 50 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza. Some with a "lethal trajectory" were intercepted by the Iron Dome air-defence system. In response, the Israeli air force attacked 29 targets inside the Gaza strip.

https://www.flightglobal.com

Nouveau avion d'entrainement d'origine Italienne de l'IAF


On dirait un Alphajet .

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Israel AF Christens Hermes 900 UAV



Star Is Born: A Name Is Chosen for the "Hermes 900" UAV
 
The Hermes 900 UAV, manufactured by the Israeli company Elbit Systems, received its official Hebrew name in the IAF: "Kochav" (star in Hebrew). The Kochav UAV strengthens the UAV arm of the IAF and is designed for HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) reconnaissance missions
 
The UAV arm of the IAF continues to expand: this week, a Hebrew name for the "Hermes 900" UAV was chosen: "Kochav" (star, in Hebrew).
 
The Israeli-built UAV serves at the Palmachim airbase and takes part in all kinds of reconnaissance missions and special missions.
 
The Kochav UAV, which is manufactured by the Israeli company Elbit System, has joined the UAV Division of the IAF. It possesses a wide range of capabilities, including the ability to carry out missions in all weather conditions.
 
The Kochav has innovative UAV capabilities: automatic takeoff, landing and braking capabilities. Additionally, it has another operational advantage over older aircraft, as it can carry multiple payloads, allowing it to perform several missions during a single flight.

http://rpdefense.over-blog.com/2014/03/israel-af-christens-hermes-900-uav.html

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Raid israélien contre des sites militaires syriens sur le Golan

Israël a bombardé plusieurs sites militaires syriens, tuant un soldat et en blessant sept. Ces attaques ont été menées en représailles à l'explosion d'une bombe artisanale qui a blessé quatre militaires de Tsahal mardi sur le plateau du Golan.
 
Parmi les cibles visées durant la nuit par la chasse israélienne figuraient un poste de commandement, un centre d'entraînement et des batteries d'artillerie, a déclaré un porte-parole de l'armée israélienne. Le régime de Bachar al-Assad a condamné ces bombardements, mais n'a pas brandi la menace de représailles.
 
Le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu avait averti dès mardi qu'Israël réagirait "avec force" après l'explosion de mardi. Le ministre de la défense Moshé Yaalon a mis en demeure mercredi le régime du président al-Assad de cesser de "coopérer" avec les ennemis d'Israël.
 
Présence du Hezbollah
 
Certaines zones du côté syrien du plateau du Golan sont contrôlées par des rebelles combattant l'armée syrienne, y compris des combattants jihadistes hostiles à Israël. Selon Jérusalem, le mouvement chiite libanais Hezbollah, allié de Bachar al-Assad et ennemi de longue date d'Israël, est également présent dans cette région.
 
Les quatre soldats israéliens ont été blessés alors qu'ils patrouillaient sur la ligne séparant le territoire capturé par Israël à la Syrie lors de la Guerre des Six Jours en 1967 et annexé par la suite - annexion non reconnue par la communauté internationale - du territoire syrien.
 
Cet incident est le plus grave pour l'armée israélienne depuis le début du soulèvement contre Bachar al Assad il y a plus de trois ans.

http://rpdefense.over-blog.com/2014/03/raid-israelien-contre-des-sites-militaires-syriens-sur-le-golan.html

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Roll-Out of first M-346 for Israeli Air & Space Force

Alenia Aermacchi presented today the first M-346 advanced trainer for the Israeli Air & Space Force in a ceremony held at company’s plant in Venegono Superiore, Italy.



In July 2012, Alenia Aermacchi was awarded a contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defence (IMOD) to supply 30 M-346 advanced jet trainer aircraft, to replace the TA-4 Skyhawks currently operated by the IAF, and ground based training systems in collaboration with other Israeli and International companies. The delivery of the first M-346 to the Israel Air & Space Force is scheduled in summer 2014.

This moment is particularly important to Alenia Aermacchi which, in less than two years, has signed the contract and performed the roll-out of the first aircraft for Israel: a result, this one, which marks the great team job achieved in strict collaboration with Alenia Aermacchi’s industrial counterparts, TOR and Honeywell.

The M-346 has been recently ordered also by Poland that becomes the fourth customer of the aircraft after Italy, Singapore and Israel. A total of 56 M-346 have been ordered so far. The aircraft is in service already with the Italian and the Republic of Singapore Air Forces.

http://www.finmeccanica.com

Special exercises Israeli military brigade "Tsanhanim" on the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, March 5, 2014.

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Cisjordanie: trois activistes Palestiniens tués par l’armée israélienne à Jénine  

Ajouté par Jacques N. Godbout le 22 mars 2014 à 12:26.

Lors d’une opération israélienne dans un camp de réfugiés de la ville palestinienne de Jénine, en Cisjordanie, visant à arrêter un terroriste armé du Hamas, une émeute a entraîné la mort de trois palestiniens suspectés de terrorisme.

Dans la nuit d’hier à aujourd’hui, Tsahal et le Shabak (Agence de Sécurité Israélienne) ont mené une opération à Jénine visant à arrêter un terroriste armé, Hamza Abu Alhija, qui, selon les forces israéliennes, était impliqué dans des tirs et des attaques à la bombe et planifiait de futures attaques terroristes contre les civils et les soldats israéliens.

Au cours de la mission, explique Tsahal, Abu Alhija s’est barricadé chez lui avec d’autres terroristes.

Les forces de sécurité israéliennes ont alors «agi afin que le suspect se rende», dit le communiqué des forces israéliennes, mais Abu Alhija a ouvert le feu en leur direction et a blessé deux de ses membres.

Il a ensuite tenté de s’enfuir tout en continuant à tirer. Les forces de sécurité israéliennes ont riposté en tirant dans sa direction et l’ont tué.

Une émeute extrêmement violente s’est aussi déclenchée sur les lieux durant laquelle des Palestiniens ont jeté des pierres et des cocktails Molotov et ont utilisé des engins explosifs contre les forces israéliennes, précise Tsahal dans son communiqué.

Ces dernières ont alors répondu par des tirs et ont tué trois autres terroristes.

Du côté palestinien, des sources sécuritaire et médicale rapportent la mort de deux activistes et d’un civil et 14 autre personnes blessés, dont deux sont dans un état critique.

Selon ces sources, l’un des activistes palestiniens tués avec le suspect recherché, Alhija, était Mohammad Abou Zena, 19 ans, un membre du Jihad islamique.

Le mouvement islamiste Hamas, qui contrôle la bande de Gaza, et le Jihad islamique ont dénoncé l’opération israélienne, mais ont aussi fustigé le Fatah, le parti rival du président palestinien Mahmoud Abbas, pour sa coopération avec Israël en matière de sécurité.

Toutefois, dans ce cas-ci, le lieutenant-colonel Peter Lerner, porte-parole de l’Armée israélienne, coopération continue a affirmé que cette opération «était une mission indépendante des IDF et des forces spéciales».

Quoi qu’il en soit, le ministre israélien de la Défense Moshe Yaalon a estimé pour sa part que l’opération avait «sauvé des vies» en permettant de «déjouer une attaque terroriste».

À l’approche de l’échéance des neuf mois des négociations de paix israélo-palestiniennes, le 29 avril, les nerfs sont à vifs et, fait inusité, les Forces de défense israélienne, ce matin, ont pris la peine d’envoyer des messages aux rédactions de plusieurs médias comme Le Monde, RTL, France 24 pour s’insurger contre le fait que la presse ne désignait pas les Palestiniens tués lors de l’opération comme terroristes.

Le secrétaire d’État américain John Kerry, qui a relancé les négociations en juillet 2013, doit présenter d’ici au 29 avril un «accord-cadre» traçant les grandes lignes d’un règlement définitif sur les questions les plus sensibles: les frontières, les colonies, la sécurité, le statut de Jérusalem et les réfugiés.

Mais les pourparlers n’ont débouché jusqu’à présent sur aucune avancée concrète, Israéliens et Palestiniens affichant leurs désaccords sur les principaux contentieux.

*Avec AFP

http://www.45enord.ca/2014/03/cisjordanie-trois-activistes-palestiniens-tues-par-larmee-israelienne-a-jenine/

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M-346 Rollout Marks Israeli-Italian Mega Deal




VENEGONO, ITALY — Alenia Aermacchi has rolled out its first M-346 jet trainer for Israel, part of a reciprocal deal covering satellites and early warning aircraft for Italy. The deal has boosted ties between the countries and may now see Tel Aviv sending its F-35 joint strike fighters to Italy for maintenance.
Officials from the defense ministries of both countries talked up their close relationship as they met in Italy on March 20 for the rollout of the first of 30 M-346 jets Israel has ordered — the first non-American plane the country has bought for decades.
“I hope the momentum will continue,” said Brig. Gen. Shmuel Tzuker, head of the procurement and production directorate at the Israeli MoD. While in Italy, Tzuker said he also visited Italy’s Cameri air base near Milan, where a final assembly and maintenance facility is being built for the F-35 — an aircraft both Italy and Israel are acquiring.
“It would make a lot of sense for us to maintain JSFs in Italy rather than sending them to the US,” he said.
Alenia is due to deliver the first three M-346s to Israel on July 10, with a total of nine to be delivered by year’s end. The first jets will enter service in 2015, Tzuker said. Israeli ground technicians and pilots will start training at Alenia’s Venegono facility near Milan next month, Alenia officials said.
The firm aims to turn out about two Israeli jets a month from its new Venegono assembly line, delivering 18 in 2015 and the final three in 2016 in a deal worth €450 million (US $625 million). Alenia will then start working on Poland’s order for eight aircraft. The last M-346 of 12 ordered by Singapore was delivered this month, and five of Italy’s six will be delivered by year’s end.
Under the 2012 deal to sell the M-346 to Israel, Italy agreed to spend €580 million on two Gulfstream early warning aircraft equipped by IAI, to be delivered in 2016, and €170 million on an Israeli-built optical satellite to be launched in September 2015 using the European Vega launcher.
The deal, which Alenia CEO Giuseppe Giordo called “a major collaboration,” was created in March 2011 at a meeting between Gen. Claudio Debertolis, then-Italy’s procurement chief, and Gen. Udi Shani, then the Israeli MoD’s director-general.
“We talked about a complete package in which national products could be exchanged,” said Debertolis, who has retired. “Shani drew up the plan for 30 trainers and two Gulfstreams, but we needed another project. With the satellite, for which Italy had a strong requirement, we had the balance.”
He said signing all the contracts simultaneously was complex but worth it — “a guarantee for both sides.”
“Gulfstream asked a high price, knowing the strategic importance of the sale, but we got them down,” he added.
In addition to the product contracts, the Israeli government also obtained project financing from Italian banks for part of its purchase, as part of the deal.
Apart from its deal with Alenia, Israel separately signed a US $750 million contract for the M-346 engines with Honeywell, which was covered by US foreign military financing provisions, and a $600 million deal with an Elbit- Israel Aerospace Industries consortium to provide the ground segment of the training set-up and 20 years of service.
Four simulators provided under the contract by the Israeli firms, which are built by CAE, with software provided by Alenia, will begin arriving in July.
One Alenia official said the firm was working on software to allow simulators to be linked in real time to the simulation function on board the aircraft, so a student flying a simulator will be “seen” by the pilot in the jet, as if they were sharing the same airspace. Vice versa, the simulator would also show the real jet.
“Give us six months to perfect this,” said the official, adding that he expects Israel to use the technology when it is available.
While CAE has been system integrator for the simulators in the M-346 contracts for Italy and Singapore, Elbit will take over that role for Israel, but also for the forthcoming Polish deal, the Alenia official said.
CAE is also teamed with Alenia and General Dynamics to pitch the M-346 for the US Air Force’s T-X trainer program.
Tzuker said that apart from the reciprocal purchases that sweetened the M-346 deal, he also considered that the jet’s twin engines, as an extra guarantee of safety, were one reason to pick the trainer over its rival in the competition — the South Korean T-50.
He said the complex negotiations with Italy had been “tough,” but the relationship between the two procurement offices is “now very good,” and when he had visited Italy’s JSF assembly line this month he was surrounded by “familiar faces.”
The M-346 deal, he said, “was a milestone for the future.”

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140322/DEFREG01/303240011/M-346-Rollout-Marks-Israeli-Italian-Mega-Deal

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Israel Banks on 10 More Years of US Aid


TEL AVIV — Despite misgivings over US President Barack Obama’s Mideast agenda and deep-rooted doubts about his ability to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, the Israeli government is taking the US president at his word that it can expect another decade of military aid.
In fact, it’s banking on it.
After many months of internal debate and bureaucratic resistance from the Israeli Treasury, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has government approval to take on more than $2 billion in commercial debt for near-term buys of V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft and other Pentagon-approved weaponry.
Under a US-approved deferred payment plan (DPP), Israel would pay only interest and fees over the course of the current agreement set to expire in September 2018. Principal will be covered by the new Obama-pledged package that would extend annual foreign military financing (FMF) aid through 2028, US and Israeli sources say.
During his visit here last March, Obama committed to talks aimed at extending US military assistance beyond the current 10-year, $30 billion agreement signed in 2007 under the administration of President George W. Bush.
In a joint news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Obama said at the time that a follow-on aid agreement was “part of our long-term commitment to Israel’s security.”
Under the existing agreement, annual FMF grant aid to Israel grew from $2.4 billion to $3.1 billion, minus subsequent recissions of some $155 million due to the US government-mandated sequester.
Bilateral talks on extended aid are still preliminary, US and Israeli sources stress, and a finalized deal is unlikely by the time Obama leaves the White House in January 2017.
But given Obama’s backing and overwhelming congressional support for its “principal strategic partner” in the region, Israel can count on follow-on funding, said Danny Ayalon, a former Israeli ambassador to the US.
While US economic conditions and a host of other factors will ultimately determine actual amounts of aid to come, Ayalon said it is reasonable to expect the follow-on agreement to preserve or possibly exceed current levels, with incremental boosts in the out-years.
Prospective DPP financing was not Israel’s first choice, officials and experts here say, but a compromise after Washington rejected earlier requests for US government-guaranteed bridge loans until the follow-on aid deal kicked in.
US sources explained that regulations proscribe government-guaranteed loans based on future FMF agreements that are not yet in place. The DPP plan approved for Israel, said one Washington source, comes as close as procedurally possible to accommodating the Israeli request.
“According to our lawyers, this is not a government-guaranteed loan. The contractor is due payment by the US government through the [Pentagon-administered] Foreign Military Sales [FMS] program … and we are doing our best to facilitate deferred payment arrangements,” the Washington source said.
He acknowledged that the arrangement required “a leap of faith” by all parties — not only the Israeli government — that a future bilateral 10-year military aid pact will materialize.
That “leap of faith” sparked extensive internal debate in Israel among financial officials, oversight authorities and political skeptics. The high risk inherent in shouldering deferred debt to be repaid from a prospective, yet amorphous, future agreement continues to concern many here, sources here say.
However, after Washington agreed to provide a letter of intent to support DPP purchases with prospective future FMF funding, Israel’s Ministry of Defense prevailed in pushing the plan through the Israeli government.
Full Faith
A straight-talking former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Ya’alon is a prominent yet pragmatic hawk in Netanyahu’s coalition government. His repeated criticism of the US-led drive toward an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and the perceived waning of US influence in regional and world affairs has sparked friction with Washington.
He was widely quoted as blasting US Secretary of State John Kerry for his “inexplicably obsessed” pursuit of a deal unworthy of “the paper it was printed on.”
This month, he was forced to apologize for comments delivered in a closed lecture here suggesting that Israel could not depend on Obama’s pledged use of all options in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.
Ya’alon sought to clarify his remarks in a March 20 telephone conversation with US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who “expressed deep concern about the minister’s comments on US policy toward Iran,” according to Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary.
Ya’alon’s office declined to discuss fallout from his latest remarks or DPP details.
But a senior aide insisted the minister has full faith in White House and congressional commitments to continued funding support.
“Relations between the US and Israel are intimate and deep, based on common values and interests, … Bilateral cooperation at all levels is a cornerstone of Israel’s national security,” Ya’alon said in a March 26 statement.
Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security is “unquestionable,” Ya’alon said. He added that he fully expects continuation of the “successful cooperation between defense industries and defense establishments.”
Translating Offer into Firm Orders
The DPP formula, officials and experts say, will free up FMF funds to initiate procurement of V-22s, an anchor part of a package offered by Hagel during his visit here last April.
At that time, Hagel announced that Washington “would make available to Israel a set of advanced new military capabilities” to augment Israel’s qualitative military edge.
But with most of Israel’s FMF funding through 2018 earmarked for F-35 fighter jets, airlifters, heavy troop carriers and other equipment, Hagel’s April 2013 announcement was criticized here as premature and lacking in substance.
Since then, the two sides have engaged in intensive coordination with defense companies, military services and multiple departments at the Pentagon, US State Department and MoD.
Assuming the DPP plan is finalized in coming months, sources from both countries said Israel could become the first export customer for the V-22, with a signed FMS contract by September.
While the two sides are still working on price, delivery and specific capabilities to be included in the package, the procurement could mean more than $1 billion for prime contractors Bell-Boeing and a host of other US companies.
Moreover, a US industry source here said it could catalyze future sales to Japan, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
In a Jan. 4 notification to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency estimated the prospective package at $1.13 billion, which includes six V-22 Block C tilt-rotor aircraft, associated equipment, spare parts, training and logistics support.
Depending on how the DPP is scheduled, it also may free up funds for other elements of Hagel‘s proposed package. They include the retrofit of active electronically scanned array radars into F-15I fighters and a variety of air-to-ground weapons, including small diameter bombs and the AGM-88E advanced anti-radiation guided missile.
Mutual Benefit
Aside from the cardinal distinction that a prospective DPP deal presumes a still-nonexistent follow-on aid package, US and Israeli sources note that similar schemes have been used in the past to mutual benefit. With active involvement by Lockheed Martin, Israel used this method to fund Pentagon-administered FMS purchases of the company’s F-16I and F-35I fighters.
When employed — usually in combination with an arcane Pentagon process called cash flow financing that allows Israel to tap into future-year FMF funding — it facilitates high-value export orders for US defense contractors and expedited responses to urgent Israeli requirements.
In those earlier cases, Lockheed helped MoD secure $1 billion in deferred commercial debt under favorable terms to supplement F-16I-earmarked funding to come from Israel’s Pentagon-managed FMF account. With permission from Washington and Lockheed, the debt was extended by another few years to secure Lockheed’s first F-35 export contract managed under FMS.
Principal on the extended loan should be fully paid by the end of the year, US and Israeli sources said.
Lockheed is expected to play a pivotal role in the new DPP scheme, which government and industry sources here say will facilitate follow-on procurement of Israel’s second squadron of F-35Is. Details of Lockheed’s involvement were unclear as of March 28.
Larisa Cioaca, a media relations manager at Lockheed’s corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Md., declined comment.

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140330/DEFREG04/303300008/Israel-Banks-10-More-Years-US-Aid

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Israeli Air Force adapts tactics to deal with increased UAV threat


The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is having to adapt its aerial intercept tactics to contend with a marked rise in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) incursions over recent years, a senior service official told IHS Jane's on 2 April.
Speaking at Ramon Airbase in southern Israel, Lockheed Martin F-16I 'Sufa' pilot Major O (security considerations prevent the disclosure of his full name) said that the particular flight characteristics of these unmanned intruders has meant that intercepting them has been challenging, and that their numbers are increasing.
"The main issue about drones is that they are smaller and less detectable, and they fly slower also," he said. "The original concept of air intercepts was to engage aircraft flying fast and that have much larger cross-sections. We have adapted [our concept of operations to defeat them] by employing new tactics, devices, and missions. Today, we are highly qualified to do that mission using optical systems developed by Elbit and Rafael, such as the Litening pod, and with munitions such as the Python IV [air-to-air missile]. I can't elaborate any more than that though, [except to say that] the heat-seeking Python IV missile that we use is so advanced that there are no issues with engaging drones."
To demonstrate his points, Maj O showed IHS Jane's a video of a UAV intercept conducted by a pair of F-16Is during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 that was shot from the onboard forward-looking infrared imager of one of the aircraft. The action involved the intercept of a Hezbollah UAV near Haifa in the north of Israel.
"These [F-16Is] were equipped with the Dash IV [helmet-mounted display] and Python IV missile - this is the first missile to use thermal imaging and not just thermal, meaning it can track the heat signature of a [propeller-driven] drone. It has amazing manoeuvering capabilities also," he said.
"What happened in this case was that the pilot was unable to lock-on to the drone because its cross-section was too small. But he saw it, pointed his helmet at it, got the right [tone] from the missile, and launched the missile. The amazing thing was that because he launched so late the missile actually passed the drone before turning around at about 90 g s and coming back and hitting it head-on."
While Maj O revealed that UAV incursions are becoming more common, he declined to quantify this. "We are dealing with drones a lot more today, but I cannot say by how much. We had reconnaissance drones in the past from Hezbollah, Syria, and Egypt - that's no secret, but since 2006 we have been dealing with them a lot more. Most of them don't cross into Israeli territory though, because we conduct the intercept before they get there, and the ones that do cross have all been shot down. This is a trend that we see continuing."
As Major O noted, not only does the IAF see the trend continuing, but it also sees these UAVs becoming more potent and capable. As he explained: "We don't call them UAVs - they are guided weapon systems … a lot like cruise missiles even. Some of the [jet-powered ones] are even as fast as cruise missiles that are guided to the target by waypoints. We train against these types, but I can't say if we have actually intercepted any for real."
As well as its response to the increase in hostile UAV operations, Maj O said that the Second Lebanon War had resulted in other lessons being learned by the IAF, which it successfully put into practise during the subsequent Operation 'Cast Lead' and 'Pillar of Defense' in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
"[As shown in the Second Lebanon War], the main thing we see is the transfer between conventional warfare to guerrilla warfare. We had to adapt - it's very easy to drop 2,000 lb bombs on everything, but we won't do it because we're aware of collateral damage.
"To adapt we had to change three main concepts of operations. We had to develop our intelligence gathering capabilities to be able to pin-point the location of the target [and not the civilians who might be nearby], and this is now mainly done in the field by UAVs such as the [Elbit Systems] Hermes 450; we decreased the size of our munitions to make them less lethal, so we again only attack the target and don't injure anyone else; and we developed our tactics so that we are able to strike within about five minutes to catch the target next to the rocket launcher [he was operating]. We take these lessons forward," he said.

http://www.janes.com/article/36286/israeli-air-force-adapts-tactics-to-deal-with-increased-uav-threat

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Israeli Iron Beam laser air defense system 'brings down mortars like flies' creator says

Innovation of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems company is designed for threats too small to be dealt with by existing systems.

A new air defense system being developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which uses lasers to shoot down low altitude threats, is able to bring down "mortars like flies," Rafael's CEO told the Israel Defense website on Wednesday.

Vice Admiral (Ret.) Yedidia Yaari, former chief of the Israel Navy, said the Iron Beam system will be "very effective" once it becomes operational.

Israel Defense cited Yaari as saying that that Iron Beam successfully passed a feasibility test, and is currently in development stages.

Iron Beam fires lasers at mortar shells, and has proven a high rate of accuracy, Yaari said, describing the system as "highly impressive." It was first unveiled formally by state-owned Rafael during the Singapore Air Show last month.

The system is designed to deal with threats that fly on too small a trajectory to be engaged efficiently by Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries.

Iron Dome is complemented by Arrow II, an Israeli interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles at atmospheric heights. Israel plans to integrate them with the more powerful rocket interceptors Arrow III - which will intercept ballistic missiles in space - and David's Sling - designed for large rockets and cruise missiles - both of which are still under development.

The United States has extensively underwritten the projects, seeing them as a means of reassuring its Middle East ally as instability rocks the region.

An industry official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters in January that Iron Beam would form the "fifth layer" of integrated missile defense.

Reuters contributed to this report

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http://www.jpost.com

2 Dolphin à Haifa

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First C-130J-30 for Israel set to arrive in-country


The Israeli Air Force (IAF) is to receive the first of six Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft currently on order on 9 April.

Having been handed over to the IAF during a ceremony at the Marietta production facility in Georgia in June 2013, this first aircraft is now ready to be formally inducted into the service at Nevatim Airbase in Israel.

Dubbed Shimshon (Samson) in Israeli service, the C-130J-30 are being procured as long-term replacements for the IAF's ageing C-130E/H transport and KC-130H aerial-refuelling platforms. The IAF currently has six such aircraft under contract, with a requirement for a further three.

http://www.janes.com

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Under the Sea: Israel’s New Submarines Join the Navy

Iran often supplies its proxy terror groups with weaponry by sea.

Two new advanced submarines are about to be put into action this year, according to the IDF Spokesperson.


Given the threats facing the Jewish State from Gaza and the north, it is none too soon. Iran is busily supplying its proxy terror groups with weaponry at every opportunity, often by sea.

The Dolphin-class INS Crocodile and the INS Rahav were both acquired from Germany in 2012. Both demand updated skills from the soldiers who will submerge below the surface of the sea within their walls.

“These new submarines have new systems and therefore new capabilities,” said Maj. Y, commander of the training school where recruits learn new roles for the control panel and sonar, among other skills. “Among these are greater stealth and the ability to stay longer under water.”

The new submarines use AIP (air independent propulsion) technology that enables them to stay underwater longer. They also produce less noise, are equipped with advanced naval weapons systems, improved detection capabilities, and maneuver more easily.

“They are larger than the previous ones,” he added. “In the event of a clash with strong water currents, the new steering station is designed to allow them to move more easily,” he explained.

One long retraining course took place for veterans, in addition to the regular submariner course, Major Y added. “Each submarine team consists of veterans who qualified in Germany, submariners and other veterans who were retrained, and new soldiers who enlisted when their course was adapted to the new submarines.

“Obviously the goal of the training is to be relevant to the reality in the field,” he said. Treks of six to 20 kilometers, the use of digital simulators and tours in a submarine are included in the training, he added.

http://www.jewishpress.com

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US continues talks with Israel about V-22 sales


The US military continues talks with potential foreign buyers of Bell Boeing's V-22 Osprey as the service works to decrease the tiltrotor's costs.

US Marine Corps Col Daniel Robinson, manager of the V-22 joint programme office, tells reporters that the service is getting closer to securing a contract to sell V-22s to Israel, and says the military has a team of negotiators in that country working on a deal.

He adds that up to one dozen other countries have shown significant interest in the aircraft, but declines to specify those nations or say how close the military and Bell Boeing are to securing an order.

"Its definitely growing in demand," he says.

Robinson's comments, made during a press briefing at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition near Washington, DC, on 7 April, follow an announcement in January that Israel requested permission from the US Defense Department to buy six V-22s.

Then, in February, at the Heli-Expo, Bell Helicopter chief executive John Garrison said Israel is now interested in acquiring a total of 12 aircraft, six of which would come from existing orders that are assigned to the Marine Corps.

Any order from Israel or another country would help Bell Boeing preserve V-22 sales beyond 2015 and could help keep production alive past 2019.



Robinson notes, however, that the production line has enough capacity in the next few years to handle some new aircraft orders.

Meanwhile, Robinson says the US military continues a rigorous effort to bring down the expense of V-22s, which currently have a flyaway cost of about $72.1 million, according the US Navy's recently-released fiscal year 2015 budget proposal.

Robinson notes that the V-22's cost per flight hour has dropped 25% since 2009 while its readiness has increased 20%.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Israël lance un nouveau satellite espion 

L'Armée de défense d'Israël a lancé mercredi un nouveau satellite de reconnaissance Ofek-10, rapporte le Jerusalem Post citant le ministère israélien de la Défense.
L'Ofek-10 est le dernier modèle de la série des satellites éponymes, qui sont conçus par le groupe Israel Aircraft Industries.
Comme ses prédécesseurs, le satellite a été lancé à bord d'une fusée Shavit depuis la base aérienne de Palmachim située au sud de Tel-Aviv. Le satellite est rapidement entré en orbite et devra subir une série de contrôles pour s'assurer que les fonctions clés fonctionnent correctement.
D'après les médias locaux, la mission principale de l'Ofek-10 consistera à observer le territoire de l'Iran, dont le programme nucléaire est considéré par Israël comme un danger vital. L'appareil est équipé de caméras capables de prendre des photos à tout moment et dans toutes les conditions météorologiques.
Le précédent lancement d'un satellite Ofek ("horizon" en hébreu) date de 2010. Selon le journal Arutz Sheva, après la mise en orbite de l'Ofek-10, la constellation israélienne de satellites de reconnaissance compte six appareils.

http://fr.ria.ru/world/20140410/200941071.html

... C130-J

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Nevatim Air Base near Beer Sheva, southern Israel, on April 9, 2014. The Super Hercules C-130J was inaugurated into the ranks of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday. Plane number 661, which touched ground at the Nevatim Air Base after a 12-hour flight from the United States, is the first of three J-model aircrafts that Israel ordered from the Lockheed Martin Corporation.Equipped with Israeli-made electronic warfare, defense and other systems and custom-built according to the IAF's specifications, the Super Hercules, which the IAF has named "Samson" in tribute to the biblical hero of the ancient Israelites, is designated for a variety of missions: transporting troops and equipment, air-dropping supplies, parachute jumps, aerial refueling, maritime patrol and covert missions. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

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6th Brigade Reserve Unit Train in the Jordan Valley

For the past month, the dedicated soldiers of the infantry and armored battalions of the 6th Brigade Reserve Unit have been training
in the Jordan Valley.

  

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Golani Brigade Exercise

Last week, soldiers from the Golani Brigade trained in Ramat Ha Golan, located in northern Israel.  



  

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