'Israel overnight strike targeted Iranian missile shipment meant for Hezbollah'

How do the  Israelis come to know about these terrorist weapons? Excellent intelligence ?

Only a few days after an alleged Israeli strike, Syrian media reports Israeli rocket fire targeted a military research center; Western intel sources confirm Syrian reports, say targets were Iranian Fateh-110 surface-to-surface missiles

he sources said the target was a shipment of Fateh-110 missiles. The Fateh-110 is a medium-range advanced guided missile capable of hitting targets at a range of up to 300 kilometers.

Tales of the Gun - Guns of Israel

Israel's fifth Dolphin-class submarine, the INS Rahav, unveiled during ceremony in Kiel, Germany

Israel's fifth Dolphin-class submarine, the INS Rahav, was unveiled on Monday, April 29 at a special ceremony in Kiel, Germany attended by Commander in Chief of the Israeli Navy Rear Adm. Ram Rothberg, Director-General of the Ministry of Defense Maj. Gen. (Res.) Ehud Shani and a delegation of Israeli and German officials.

The ceremony culminated in the smashing of a celebratory bottle of champagne on the hull of the new vessel.

The Dolphin is a versatile vessel, possessing a wide range of capabilities fit for a large variety of missions. The submarine fleet represents the technological cutting-edge of the Israeli Navy, the IDF and the State of Israel. Soldiers in the Israeli Navy's submarine fleet engage in operational activity day after day under a heavy veil of secrecy. 

Israeli Navy already operates three Type 800 Dolphin class diesel-electric submarine based on the German 209 class submarine design (Dolphin commissioned in 1999, Leviathan in commissioned 2000, Tekumah commissioned in 2000). In 2006 Israel signed a contract with Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to purchase two additional submarines from its HDW subsidiary. The two new boats are an upgraded version of the older Dolphins, featuring an AIP (Air-Independent Propulsion) system, similar to the one used on German Type 212 submarines.

An AIP system allows a submarine to operate without the need to surface or use a snorkel to access atmospheric oxygen therefore increasing diesel-electric submarines stealth and endurance. AIP offers diesel-electric submarines a remarkable increase in capability.

The new Israeli submarines are nammed Tannin and Rahav. Tannin was delivered last year. Israeli Navy had an option for a third unit. 

Israeli air force shoots down drone

Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Eshel Flies Cobra

Maj. Gen. Eshel joins Cobra helicopter squadron training after its return to regular activity, a month and a half after being grounded following an accident



The Israel Air Force's Cobra (Tzefa) helicopters have returned to flight activity, more than a month after the accident of the Cobra helicopter that cost the lives of Lt. Col. Noam Ron and Maj. Erez Flesker, and prior to the conclusion of the full investigation.

The findings of the investigation pointed to the accident being caused by a technical failure, and the IAF decided to return the first combat helicopter squadron to full activity.

The commander of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, joined the squadron training that took place yesterday. "We lost two of our best fighters as a result of a technical malfunction. The investigation has yet to conclude, and we will continue until we reach all of the necessary conclusions in order to safely return to operational capability. There is considerable operational importance to the layout's return to activity, and the Tzefa is very relevant to the changing reality along our borders," said Maj. Gen. Eshel. 

Skylark Generation 2 UAV to enter in service with Israeli Army in the next few months

The newest model of the IDF's most advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – the Skylark – is expected to enter operational use in the coming months. The Skylark – Generation 2 is currently in its final testing stages and is designed for use in the field by infantry battalions in the IDF Ground Forces.

The Skylark weighs a mere seven kilograms, and is equipped with state of the art cameras that provide visual intelligence of the area of the battlefield in which the battalion operates. The new model of the Skylark has been developed by the Technology and Logistics Branch and the Ground Forces Weapons Department and is being supplied by Elbit Systems. Its integration in the field is expected to provide technological operational advantages, including the use of the Skylark's upgraded cameras. Furthermore, the UAV's communications system will soon be hooked up to the Ground Forces' overall command and control system. The Ground Forces' vision is for every battalion to have an attached Skylark squad to provide field support. The Skylark Unit's responsibilities are also expected to grow to coincide with a significant expansion planned for the use of UAVs in the Ground Forces.


 

Likud ministers say Israel's defense budget will be cut

 The national defense budget will have to be cut by around NIS 3 billion for 2013 alone, senior Likud cabinet ministers said recently.
The Israel Defense Forces is already taking the anticipated budget cuts into account. Last year the defense establishment managed to thwart planned budget cuts.
The subject of major government spending cuts in general due to a burgeoning deficit is expected to be front and center on the new government's agenda. The 2013 budget has not been approved. It is expected to include about NIS 15 billion in cuts.
In the past two years Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wavered over the defense cuts the treasury has recommended. He has held off so far due to the instability in the Arab world as well as increased tension on Israel's borders.

Netanyahu has also had to consider the implications of preparations for a possible Israeli action against Iran's nuclear program. In the past two years the state has spent about NIS 11 billion on such preparations.
Senior cabinet ministers now say defense spending, the single largest item in the state budget, cannot be spared in the overall budget-cutting process. Although Netanyahu has not stated his official position on the matter he is now expected to support defense cuts.
This is likely to have major political implications: The nature and scope of spending cuts are a prominent obstacle in forming the next governing coalition. Bigger defense cuts would permit smaller cuts in other areas that are dear to the hearts of some potential coalition partners. The ultra-Orthodox parties, for example, oppose cutting child allowances.

Senior cabinet members who spoke with Haaretz said the planned defense cuts would require the IDF to alter its priorities. War preparedness must not be affected, the ministers cautioned, adding that it was important to limit the affects on intelligence capabilities, precision aerial and ground weapons systems and on research and development. But some expensive armament projects could be deferred, they said. Other acquisitions could be scaled back and cuts to certain reserve army units could be considered.
Among the measures that will presumably be considered are deferring procurement of a second F-35 squadron for the Israel Air Force and reducing the scope of procurement of a new, advanced armored personnel carrier.

Two of the ministers who are expected to support military spending cuts are potential candidates for defense minister. Moshe Ya'alon, strategic affairs minister in the outgoing government and a former IDF chief of staff, recently said in private conversations that the defense budget was not a sacred cow and that economic exigencies made it necessary to consider such cuts.
Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz, a former chief of staff and former defense minister, said on several occasions last year that substantial cuts could be made in defense spending without harming the IDF's military preparedness.

Satellite images reveal unscathed SSRC facility in Syria

Israel's Channel 2 broadcast satellite images of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (Centre D'Etudes et de Recherches Scientifiques) in Jamraya. The images, which were reportedly taken by DigitalGlobe, showed that the complex was unscathed despite claims by the Syrian regime that it was the target of an Israeli raid last week.

If the images, taken four days after the alleged bombing, are genuine, they all but confirm the belief among US officials that Israel's primary target in last week's raid was a convoy of antiaircraft weapons and not the SSRC facility. The images would also likely confirm the belief among US officials that the purported damage seen to the SSRC facility in the video released by Syrian state television on Feb. 2 was most likely the result of "secondary explosions from munitions in the convoy."

On Feb. 2, Threat Matrix noted that the footage purporting to show the damage caused by Israel's airstrikes showed "extremely limited" damage to the SSRC facility.

While the images may debunk the Syrian regime's claims as to what was struck, they do appear to support the belief that the antiaircraft missiles that were struck were located very close to the SSRC facility in Jamraya. In the images broadcast today a burnt road is clearly visible near the facility, possibly indicating the location of the Syrian weapons convoy when it was hit.

Israeli drone

Gas Masks Being Handed Out Across Israel

Israeli hits Syrian convoy near Lebanon border

Israel Air Force Strike with Secondary Explosions

Elbit Systems gets Israeli defence contracts worth $315 mln

Elbit Systems has won various contracts from Israel's Ministry of Defence in a number of fields worth a total of $315 million, the Israeli defence electronics firm said on Monday.

It will supply battle management systems and avionics for helicopters, virtual training for the Israeli Air Force's (IAF) fighter aircraft and operation and maintenance services for the IAF's Flight Academy, worth $75 million, covering deliveries over six years.

It will also provide Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft systems within three years as well as maintenance services over a period of eight years, for a total value of $90 million.

Elbit will supply over four years electronic warfare systems for F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft and for the navy's missile vessels, for a total amount of $90 million. It will also provide electro-optic systems worth $25 million and land systems worth $35 million.

Israeli army's sigint unit holds workshop for hi-tech whiz kids

Israeli military's electronic intelligence unit has held a first-of-its-kind workshop to track young potential candidates, local media reported Wednesday.

Some 30 high school students with "brilliant ideas" for technological developments began Tuesday a three-day workshop hosted by the Unit 8200, which operates within the Intelligence Corps, the Hebrew Ma'ariv daily said.

Apart from collecting signal intelligence and deciphering code, the Israeli army's elite sigint unit oversees defensive and offensive cyber operations, with the demand for suitable candidates often surpassing the supply.

In addition to spotting talent for military service, the workshop also aims to start up the participants' ideas, the report said.

Attesting to the acute shortage, military head-hunters have been dispatched to scout for young computer hackers among Jewish communities worldwide with a potential to become cyber-warfare specialists, and persuade them to immigrate to Israel, Yediot Aharonot reported earlier last month.

The report came months after the Israeli military officially acknowledged that it engages in cyber warfare.

"The Israel Defense Forces is fighting consistently and relentlessly in cyberspace, collecting intelligence and protecting the army's networks as well," the Israeli military said on its website.

Israel maintains military assets in Eritrea to spy on Iran

JERUSALEM, Dec. 12 — Israel has set up military bases in Eritrea to monitor Iran and other hostile activities in the Red Sea, Stratfor Global Intelligence reported Wednesday.

The U.S.-based strategy consultancy firm quoted “diplomatic sources” as saying that the Israeli military presence is comprised of docks and small naval units in the Dahlak Archipelago and Massawa, and a listening post on Mt. Amba Sawara.

“Israel’s presence in Eritrea is very focused and precise, involving intelligence gathering in the Red Sea and monitoring Iran’s activities,” Stratfor said.

According to the report, the East African nation has become an arena of operations for both Israel and Iran, with both vying to bolster their influence in the Horn of Africa.

The Israeli operations in the area are believed to mainly focus on tracking Iranian arms smuggling to militants in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Ships loaded with rockets and other munitions travel through the Red Sea to Sudan and Egypt, from where the cargo is then transferred via land routes to Gaza or placed on ships bound for Syria and Lebanon.

The Israel Air Force has reportedly attacked arms convoys in Sudan several times in the past, and is widely credited with the October bombing of the Yarmouk munitions plant near the Sudanese capital of Khartoum where Iran had presumably planned to set up a workshop for manufacturing long-range missiles.

Though Israel kept mum on the affair, an Israeli official told The Sunday Times last month that Iran has built a “strategic arm” in Gaza.

“Regardless of the ceasefire agreement (with Hamas), we will attack and destroy any shipment of arms to Gaza,” he said.

According to Stratfor, in addition to Israel, Eritrea accommodates Iranian military operations “relevant to Tehran’s larger goal of controlling the Bab el-Mandab Strait and the water route to the Suez Canal.”

“In exchange for resources, possibly including modest amounts of cash and weapons, Eritrea has exhibited a willingness to become a base of support for Middle Eastern powers,” the report analyzes Asmara’s decision to nurture relations with the two rival nations.

It said Eritrea seeks to befriend Israel for “numerous security and political reasons,” such as Israel’s “close ties with Washington… and to acquire better air defense capabilities to defend against a possible attack from Ethiopia,” as well as ” balancing its controversial relationship with Tehran.”

Eritrea is not the only base for Israeli military operations abroad.

Earlier this month, The Sunday Times reported that numerous reports over the past year have claimed that Israel is maintaining a military presence in Azerbaijan, where it deploys unmanned Predator drones to preemptively strike Iranian missile sites in the event of a war.

According to other reports, Israel has purchased an abandoned airfield in the country from which it could launch a strike on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

India Expresses Desire for Iron Dome System

India wants the Iron Dome defense system. Defense News reports that  India and Israel are cooperating on the development of weapons systems and that India’s main wish is to acquire the Iron Dome on a “buy and build” basis. This means India wants to acquire  it and obtain a license from Israel for its manufacture.

An Indian source told Defense News that Israel had agreed to sell the system to India, but was hesitant about selling the technology needed to manufacture it. The U.S., which helped fund the Iron Dome’s development, has not said publicly whether it backs the deal.

According to the Indo-Asian News Service India is the largest customer of Israeli military equipment and Israel is the second-largest military partner of India after Russian with trade hovering around $9 billion.

Globes reports that the list of future projects discussed during a meeting between Ministry of Defense director general Udi Shani and India’s Defense Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma last week in India included a plan to develop aircraft-launched micro-satellites, as well as plans to develop laser-guided missiles and munitions.

According to an Israeli defense source, other possible plans include specialized radar systems, such as an airborne system for Indian-made light combat planes, and a long-range system for tracking ballistic missiles. However it is uncertain whether any agreement was reached on these plans.

Several F-16 engines stolen from Israeli base

Somebody in the Middle Kingdom wants these engines desperately since the Russian engines are getting harder to copy.  I would speculate that these would go into the J - 10s 

The Malaysians also have pulled off this earlier

For a second year, American-built fighter jet engines have been stolen from an Israeli air base.
Reports out of Israel on Thursday say that several F-16 engines have been stolen from a base in a central part of the country. Israel Defense Forces officials suspect the engines were stolen with inside help, though by whom and for what purpose they do not know. The IDF speculates the engines may have been stolen to be sold for scrap.


In June 2011, the IDF reported the loss of eight F-15 and F-16 fighter engines from a base at Tel Nof near Jerusalem. Officials played down the loss saying the engines were old or retired and likely stolen for scrap. They said that some countries would see value in having them and taking them apart.


They’re still more modern than anything in the Iranian air force inventory, and they would even be helpful to China in their jet engine development. The engines would each weigh more than 3,700 pounds.

John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity​.org, an Alexandria, Va., defense and intelligence think tank, said at the time that even old F-15 and F-16 engines were “better than anything the communist Chinese have.”

The engines, which could be Pratt & Whitney or GE, have “superior” thrust-to-weight ratio and better fuel consumption than anything in the Chinese air force, he said.Pentagon officials last year offered no comment on the thefts but referred questions to the Israelis.

History has shown it’s not impossible to steal jet engines.
In two cases, investigative officials found the thieves had inside help. In 2009, two F-5 engines were stolen from an airbase in Malaysia, tracked to Argentina and ultimately located in Uruguay. A Malaysian air force sergeant was charged along with a businessman with stealing the engines.
In 1989, two U.S. Air Force security policemen were charged in connection with the theft of three F-16 engines from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Those engines were recovered.

Isreali press blames "Bedouins driving SUVs"

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/12/07/3113931/f-16-engines-appear-stolen-from-idf-base