DTN News - DEFEXPO 2014: Israel's IAI To Unveil Unmanned Fast Patrol Boat At Defexpo 2014

DTN News - DEFEXPO 2014: Israel's IAI To Unveil Unmanned Fast Patrol Boat At Defexpo 2014

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources JP +
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 5, 2014: The Indian defense systems exhibition Defexpo 2014 opens on Wednesday of this week, in New Delhi. Focusing on land, naval and internal homeland security systems, companies from round the world will be competing head on with their latest concepts and products.

Israeli Aerospace Industries Ltd, or IAI, will be present with an important new naval concept which seeks to replicate the use of UASs, unmanned aerial systems, and sometimes known as “drones”, in a maritime context.

Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled on Tuesday the "Katana", an unmanned surface vessel (USV) combat marine system for use guarding Israel's coast and growing offshore investments.

As Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the eastern Mediterranean is filling up with large-scale natural gas drilling, the navy is working with the government to approve a budget that will add four missile ships, drones, unmanned sea vessels and patrol air craft to protect it.

The zone, which includes natural gas fields Leviathan and Tamar, is the size of the State of Israel, and it will up be to the navy to defend this vital national asset from terrorist threats and hostile states.

IAI's Katana is a multifunctional vessel and 'marine system' that provides various capabilities such as advanced communications, weapons systems, and varied payloads.

The system can also be adapted to existing vessels and has the option of being used as an unmanned surface vessel from a remote control center, or by a live crew. 


*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources JP +
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*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing And Israel Aerospace Industries Mark 10 Years Of Cooperation

DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing And Israel Aerospace Industries Mark 10 Years Of Cooperation
>Companies extend work agreement on Arrow Weapon System
>Arrow 3 next step in Israel's national missile defense strategy
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources  Boeing
 (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - January 27, 2012: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has renewed its work agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on the Arrow Weapon System, and enhanced the IAI-Boeing Strategic Teaming Agreement to explore and develop new opportunitiesin the missile defense arena. Leaders of both companies gathered at IAI headquarters in Tel Aviv on Jan. 19 for a signing ceremony that also marked the 10th anniversary of the Boeing and IAI partnership.

"The Arrow program demonstrates Boeing's commitment to developing international missile defense partnerships around the globe," said Boeing Network & Space Systems President Roger Krone. "We are pleased to mark this 10-year milestone by expanding our cooperation on missile defense initiatives with our partner IAI."

Over the past 10 years, Arrow, the world's first operational national missile defense system, has become a vital anti-ballistic-missile defense strategy for Israel's national defense. IAI is the prime contractor for the Arrow Weapon System. It initiated, developed and deployed the in-service Arrow 2 program and, together with Boeing, is developing the Arrow 3 system -- a crucial asset in Israel's multi-tier anti-ballistic-missile defense strategy.

"This new agreement is the next logical step in our relationship with Boeing and a strong opportunity for both companies to play a bigger role in the missile defense market. It is based on a strong foundation of successful cooperation," said Itzhak Nissan, IAI president and CEO.

"Boeing's relationship with IAI has produced an innovative, versatile and affordable advanced missile defense capability. We look forward to our continued partnership and the development of the next generation of Arrow interceptor," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Strategic Missile and Defense Systems.

The Arrow program has been a cooperative effort between the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the Israel Missile Defense Organization since 2002.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 63,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

Contact:

Scott Day
Strategic Missile and Defense Systems
Office: +1 703-872-4206
Mobile: +1 703-403-3083
scott.day2@boeing.com

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing 
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Israeli Aerospace Industries Delivers 12 UAVs To Russia In key Deal

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Israeli Aerospace Industries Delivers 12 UAVs To Russia In key Deal

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources UPI Dt. Jan 17 2011

(NSI News Source Info) TEL AVIV, Israel - January 19, 2011: Israeli Aerospace Industries has delivered a dozen unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia under a $400 million contract that will eventually allow Moscow to manufacture advanced drones that will significantly enhance its military capabilities.

The delivery of the short-range Bird-Eye 400 and I-View Mk 150 aircraft, plus the longer-range Searcher II, in recent weeks is part of an Israeli effort to encourage the Russians not to provide Iran and Syria with advanced weapons systems that could threaten the Jewish state, The Jerusalem Post reported. "It is reasonable to argue that Israel viewed UAV sales and joint military technology activity as a means of bringing influence to bear on Moscow," Jane's Defense Weekly observed. The UAVs delivered by state-owned IAI, flagship of Israel's high-tech defense industry, stemmed from a ground-breaking April 2009 contract worth $53 million. That marked Russia's first purchase of a foreign weapons system. That, in turn, led to the $400 million deal between IAI and Russia's Oboronprom OPK Group in October 2010 under which the Russians will independently manufacture the Heron 1, one of Israel's most advanced UAVs capable of strategic missions. As part of the deal, IAI trained some 50 Russian pilots at its main facility near Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. It isn't clear whether IAI will provide Russia with the Heron TP, or Eitan, a 4.5-ton aerial titan that is understood to be able to carry air-to-ground missiles. That seems unlikely, in the short term at least, given the Heron's strategic capabilities, which Israel is reluctant to share. But JDW says Moscow has expressed an interest in the Heron TP. The craft is 79 feet long and has a wingspan of 86 feet and can stay aloft for 20 hours at high altitudes, making it capable of reaching Iran from Israel. UAVs have become a major export of Israel's defense industry. "Israel is the world's leading exporter of drones, with more than 1,000 sold in 42 countries," Jacques Chemia, chief engineer of IAI's UAV division, said recently. Moscow's decision last June to scrap an $800 million contract to provide Iran with powerful S-300PMU air-defense missile systems clearly has helped Israel overcome its reservations about providing technology to Russia. Tehran wanted the systems to protect its nuclear installations, which the Israelis have threatened to attack. The S-300s would have been a formidable obstacle for Israeli warplanes. Israel wants Moscow to ditch plans to sell Syria the advanced supersonic P-800 Yakhont cruise missile that could pose a series threat to Israel's navy, particularly if they are passed on to Hezbollah in Lebanon. From the Russian point of view, the deals with Israel underline how Moscow is accelerating efforts to obtain major military platforms from the West, a fundamental revision of Russian military procurement strategy. Securing licenses from foreign defense manufacturers, such as IAI, to produce the equipment in Russia is significant as it will bolster the Kremlin's plans to revive its moribund defense industry over the next decade. "While design bureaus and major builders have experience building major platforms such as fighter aircraft, tanks and submarines, they are hopelessly behind European and U.S. manufacturers in their ability to produce modern electronics and advanced equipment," according to an Oxford Analytica assessment in August. The Russian air force received no new aircraft from 1994-2003 and only three since then. These were early models of the T-50 fifth-generation fighter that was supposed to revitalize the air force by 2015. But because of design problems, particularly with the power plant, the air force is unlikely to start taking delivery of the first jets until 2018 at the earliest. Russia has been unable to get off the ground with advanced UAVs, a shortcoming that became all too evident during the brief 2008 war with the former Soviet republic of Georgia. It was Georgia's use of long-endurance Hermes 450 tactical spy drones, built by Israel's Elbit Defense Systems, to provide battlefield reconnaissance that caught Moscow's interest. This issue was sufficiently sensitive that the Israelis were uneasy about to selling UAVs to Russia, particularly since Moscow was providing advanced weapons systems to Iran and Syria. Washington was concerned enough about the proposed UAV sales that it "requested clarifications" from Israel's Defense Ministry, the liberal daily Haaretz reported in June.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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DTN News: DRDO, IAI, MBDA Products To Improve Indian Air Force Air Defence Capabilities

DTN News: DRDO, IAI, MBDA Products To Improve Indian Air Force Air Defence Capabilities

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - October 21, 2010: In a recent interview, the Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik had been quoted saying that the Indian Air Force was close to having a 50 percent obsolence level in its equipment. This was largely a reference to the air defence capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

For the past few years, however, the Government has moved to address these gaps in capabilities with the following orders / upgrades planned:

• December 2010 - President Sarkozy's Visit: Formal accord likely to be signed and joint development work to begin for the 15-km.-range Indo-French Maitri short-range SAM (SR-SAM). Workshare agreement between the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and European defense major MBDA has been concluded. An MBDA official says the SR-SAM would finish development work and the first phase of testing within three years of program go-ahead. The system is likely to be available for deployment by late 2013.
• February 2011 - IAF will receive its first two Akash batteries in February, and is likely to deploy them in India's Northeast. The IAF decided to order six more Akash batteries worth USD $925 million -- each with 125 missiles -- in addition to the two systems already on order.
• March 2011 - IAF receive the first of 18 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)-Rafael Spyder quick-reaction medium-range missile systems. The offshore deal became necessary in 2006 because of delays in the indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) program.
• DRDO is developing with IAI a 70-km.-range Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MR-SAM). The IAF plans to raise at least two regiments that will use the MR-SAM, each with 40 launchers and support equipment. In India, the MR-SAM will progressively replace the antiquated Soviet-vintage SA-3 Pechora and SA-8 OSA-AK SAM systems.
• Radar coverage - The IAF currently has fast-track tenders out for long-range surveillance radars, high-powered radars, three-dimensional C/D band air surveillance radars, low-level transportable radars and radars for mountain surveillance in India's northern and eastern sectors.

*THIS ARTICLE IS BEING POSTED FROM TORONTO, CANADA BY DTN NEWS ~ DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS, CONTACT:DTNNEWS@YMAIL.COM

Related: -- DRDO, MBDA to Jointly Develop Maitri Quick Reaction Missile -- IAI Develops Arrow 3 Interceptor for Long Range Incoming Missiles

DTN News: Israel Aerospace Industries Completed Series of Successful Flight Tests Of Colombian Air Force's Boeing 767 Air Refueling Aircraft

DTN News: Israel Aerospace Industries Completed Series of Successful Flight Tests Of Colombian Air Force's Boeing 767 Air Refueling Aircraft

* Itzhak Nissan, President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries: "We are proud to be working with such a distinguished customer as the Colombian Air Force, and are pleased to have been chosen to take on such critical projects as supplying and upgrading Kfir aircraft and supplying aerial refueling aircraft. These projects reflect IAI's strength and its integrative capabilities."

Source: DTN News / Israel Aerospace Industries; issued September 5, 2010

(NSI News Source Info) Tel Aviv, Israel - September 6, 2010: A series of successful flight tests aimed at opening the flight envelope have been completed for the pre-owned B767-200ER (Extended Range) aircraft, converted by Bedek Aviation Group of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to a Multi Mission Tanker Transport (MMTT) configuration for the Colombian government and the end user, the Colombian Air Force. The converted aircraft is equipped with two Wing Air Refueling Pods (WARPs) of the ARP3 model, developed and manufactured by IAI. During the first 3.5-hour flight test, the full envelope, including altitude, speed, and Mach number, was opened without any flutter or buffet problems. Additional in-flight refueling tests of a C10 Kfir fighter jet, also produced by IAI, were successfully completed. The MMTT pilot reported an extremely smooth flight with no technical events.The air refueling system functioned very well, and the first hook-ups and fuel transfers were the most exciting moments of the flight. IAI's test pilot team that flew the aircraft reported that the systems performed flawlessly. The pilot of the Kfir (the aircraft being refueled) appreciated the easy, stable hook-up in each of the two WARPs. As previously reported, IAI was awarded a multi-year contract in 2007 worth more than $150 million to upgrade the Colombian Air Force's Kfir aircraft. In June of 2009, the first Kfir aircraft were redelivered to the Colombians, and have been in operational activity ever since. The tanker conversion project, which lasted more than two years, was completed by IAI's technicians, flight test pilots, and engineers, all of whom contributed to the development and integration of the air refueling system into the B767. Their dedication and hard work culminated in the minutes during which the tanker and the Kfir met in the air and performed the hook-up, an "exciting and proud" moment for those involved in the project. IAI's chief test pilot Ronen Shapira, who flew behind the B767-200ER in a G250 business jet aircraft, also confirmed the smooth flight: "The flights were successful, and the aircraft performed extremely well with the air refueling pods. The aircraft performance and overall stability of the aircraft and the drogues all displayed impressive results." Eli Hattem, General Manager of IAI's Bedek Aviation Group, commented: "These successful flight tests are an important milestone in this conversion. We are pleased to report that everything is progressing smoothly and look forward to continuing to strengthen our ties with the Colombian government and its Air Force." In the coming days, the B767-200MMTT will perform additional flights before its redelivery to the Colombian Air Force.

In the photos:

1-Itzhak Nissan, President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries

2- The Colombian Air Force's Kfir C10 fighter aircraft being refueled by the B767 air refueling tanker For further details, please contact:

Doron SuslikDeputy Corporate

VP of Communications

Tel: +972-3-935-8509

Fax: +972-3-935-8512

Email: hpaz@iai.co.il

DTN News: Pentagon Halts Israeli Fighter Jet Bid, US A Rival On Tender

DTN News: Pentagon Halts Israeli Fighter Jet Bid, US A Rival On Tender

*Source: DTN News / IsraelNN.com By Malkah Fleisher (Related link click here)

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 7, 2009: A scandal has arisen out of the United States military establishment after Pentagon pressure on Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to withdraw from a massive aircraft tender for the Indian Air Force leaves competing American aerospace companies in prime position to win it. On the table: a $12 billion Indian Ministry of Defense tender for 126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) for the Indian Air Force. In a bid to win the tender, IAI was offered a partnership with Sweden's Saab AB to jointly develop an advanced model of the JAS-39 Gripen jet fighter. Israel was to build the electronic systems for the craft, including communications, electronic warfare and radar systems. The Pentagon contacted Israel's Ministry of Defense, ordering them to force IAI out of contention, citing concerns that Israel would integrate American technology into the fighter jets. However, two of the remaining four bidders are American companies, leaving Israeli officials speculating that the actual reason for the demand was America's interest in winning the bid without having to compete by lowering prices, according to Israeli officials quoted in Israeli media Lockheed Martin's F-16 and Boeing's F-18 Hornet are still in the running, as well as Russia's MiG-35 and the UK's BAE Eurofighter. The United States has a history of intervening to thwart Israeli military contracts, to America's benefit. Last summer, Israel's defense establishment backed down from a $500 million Turkish tank tender in order not to compete with the Americans. In 2006, the IAI lost a $2 billion South Korean Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) tender after the US imposed technological and commercial restrictions, which prevented Israel from meeting the terms of the tender. In 2003, the US opposed a $1 billion AWACS contract between Israel and India, citing India's stance against the US war in Iraq. The US offered Israel $1 billion in US military goods to back down from the agreement. However, Israeli officials speculated that the US may have opposed the deal for commercial reasons.

DTN News: IAI Advances Strategic Cooperative Efforts With Kazakhstan

DTN News: IAI Advances Strategic Cooperative Efforts With Kazakhstan

*The President of Israel and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan discussed strengthening of commercial ties between the two countries

*Source: DTN News / Israel Aerospace Industries; issued June 30, 2009 (For info or link click here) (NSI News Source Info) TEL AVIV, Israel - July 6, 2009: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and DETA Air, a leading cargo operator in central Asia, signed today a General Terms Agreement (G.T.A.) to engage in long-term strategic cooperative efforts.

DC 10 undergoing conversion process at the Bedek Aviation facilities in Israel. In the first phase of the agreement, IAI’s Bedek Aviation Group will perform heavy checks on two of DETA Air's DC-10-40SF aircraft, part of the company's fleet which also includes Russian cargo planes. The business potential for Bedek is estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Mr. Shimon Peres, President of Israel, and Mr. Karim Masimov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, during Mr. Peres' visit to Kazakhstan this week. The agreement was signed by IAI's Vice President for Strategy and Planning, Baruch Mevorach, who is traveling with the President's delegation. Mr. Mevorach notes that "this constitutes a breakthrough for IAI in a newly identified important region of the world because of the expected economic growth in central Asia, which will increase its cargo flights. IAI is a well-known, leading supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for both cargo and passenger aircraft." Yerlan Zhaxybekov, General Director of DETA Air, sees IAI Bedek as an essential strategic partner in the development of the airline's western aircraft fleet during its growth. In the picture: DC 10 undergoing conversion process at the Bedek Aviation facilities in Israel About Israel Aerospace IndustriesIsrael Aerospace Industries, is one of Israel’s leading technological-industrial companies employing around 16,400 people and is a leading developer of aviation and aerospace technology in the military and civilian markets. IAI’s backlog grew from over $1 billion at the beginning of 2009 to a record high of over $8 billion. IAI is a world leader in a wide range of advanced technologies, including development, production, renovation, upgrading, repair and maintenance of aircraft, missiles, launchers, communications satellites, observation satellites and ground services, electronic systems, avionics systems, advanced radar, precision-guided munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles. For more information, please contact: Doron Suslik Deputy Vice President of Communications Tel: 03-935-8509 Fax: 03-935-8512 Email: hpaz@iai.co.il

DTN News: US Forces Israeli Company To Back Out Of Indian Air Force Fighter Jet Bid

DTN News: US Forces Israeli Company To Back Out Of Indian Air Force Fighter Jet Bid

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 5, 2009: The United States has forced an Israeli company to back out of the multi-billion dollar tender to sell new multi-role fighter jets to the Indian Air Force. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been pressurized by the Pentagon to back out of a joint partnership with a Swedish aerospace company, Saab Gripen. The six aircraft makers and types involved in the multi role combat aircraft (MRCA) competition are the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing Super Hornet, along with the Lockheed Martin F-16, Saab JAS-39 Gripen and the Mig 35. The deal is estimated at a whopping 12 billion dollars for 126 new aircraft. Saab, manufacturer of the Gripen, asked the IAI to jointly develop an advanced model, which would compete for the deal. The Israeli Defense Ministry ordered IAI to back out of the deal after the Pentagon expressed concern that American technology, used by Israel, would be integrated into the Gripen offered to the Indians. "The stated concern was that western technology in Israeli hands would make its way to the Indians," The Jerusalem Post quoted an Israeli official, as saying. The American request was that Boeing and Lockheed Martin - the two largest US defense contractors - are also competing for the Indian deal. For this reason, Israeli officials said it was more likely that the Americans were concerned that if the IAI competed for the deal with Saab it would force the US companies to lower their prices. A multi-role fighter, the Gripen is in service in Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Africa. The IAI was supposed to provide the electronic systems like radar, communications, etc for the plane. his is not the first time that an Israeli company has been forced out of a deal due to concerns that competing with American companies would endanger Israeli-US relations. Last summer, the Israel Military Industries (IMI) had to back down from submitting a bid for a half-a-billion dollar deal to develop and manufacture a new tank for the Turkish Armed Forces.

IAI Casts Lot For Future Growth With Brazil

IAI Casts Lot For Future Growth With Brazil

(NSI News Source Info) RIO DE JANEIRO - April 17, 2009: Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) looked around the world for its future growth and signed up for Brazil and India, said Yair Shamir, chairman of the diversified aerospace and defense group. That global strategy for growth was ratified by the IAI board, Shamir said April 16 at the Latin America Aerospace and Defense (LAAD) show. To pursue the Brazilian market, IAI recently signed a 50/50 joint venture agreement with Synergy Group, an industrial and engineering group with large shipbuilding and aviation interests. IAI talked to a number of companies but opted for Synergy because it was looking for a partner that would allow diversification of activities. The joint venture agreement was complicated and took some time to finalize. IAI settled on a joint venture rather than an outright acquisition, which was considered too risky. IAI's approach will be "practical, not theoretical," Shamir said. The joint venture will seek out projects on which it can bid, applying the Israeli company's broad range of capabilities. The president of Synergy, Germain Efromovich, said the agreement brings IAI technology into the joint venture company, which will bid for contracts with the Brazilian air force, army and navy. Synergy submitted a bid in a tender that closed April 15 for four Brazilian coast guard cutters, Efromovich said. Synergy owns two shipyards here, five commercial airlines including the Avianca carrier and a cargo operator, and an offshore helicopter fleet. The company is also involved in oil exploration and the medical field. The Brazilian company plans to invest $800 million over three years in a new shipyard in the Rio state, Efromovich. Profit margins in the aircraft business are about 8 percent to 9 percent, shipbuilding up to 15 percent, and medical 20 percent to 25 percent, he said. Synergy had 2008 sales of $2.6 billion and expects to make $3 billion. Each partner will initially inject a couple of hundred thousand dollars into the joint venture, but has capacity to put in hundreds of millions eventually. The timing is right, Shamir said, as the Brazilian armed forces are pursuing a modernization. Brazil is interested in assets such as UAVs, an early warning system and upgrades for its land, sea, air and, eventually, space capabilities, said Yair Ramati, IAI corporate vice president for marketing. Some of the needs are a wish list, but IAI looks to the joint venture to win those deals which actually come to the market. IAI is following Brazil's FX-2 combat aircraft tender, as the company has equipment, such as a radar targeting pod, electronically scanned radar, secure communications and electronic countermeasures, which could be fitted on the Saab Gripen aircraft if the Brazilian air force chooses it. IAI makes the RF radar seeker for Rafael tactical missiles and builds laser guided bombs. A win by Boeing's F/A-18 would secure business for American suppliers, while the Dassault Rafale is mainly equipped with Thales systems, leaving little room for IAI. The Israeli company also has surveillance and communications satellites, which could feed into Brazil's space ambitions. In India, IAI signed an agreement with the Tata conglomerate in the third quarter of last year.

No Problems In Ongoing Turkish-Israeli Military Cooperation: Official

No Problems In Ongoing Turkish-Israeli Military Cooperation: Official (NSI News Source Info) February 25, 2009: There were no problems in Turkish-Israeli relations and in the ongoing projects carried out by the two countries, Turkey's undersecretary for the defense industry said on Monday. Recent media reports suggested some military projects between Israel and its main regional ally Turkey could be cancelled after ties between the two countries became strained over the latest Gaza operation. Turkey and Israel carried out several "long-term projects" and no last-minute changes could be made in any of them, Turkish Undersecretary for Defense Industry Murad Bayar was quoted by Anatolian Agency as saying at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX-2009) in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. "Turkey and Israel have mutual benefits in these projects. The projects are carried out within such framework," Bayar said. Relations between Turkey and Israel, who have close diplomatic and military ties, have been strained over Turkish and Israeli officials' remarks following the Jewish state's 22-day Gaza offensive. In the latest incident, Ground Forces Commander Avi Mizrahi said earlier this month that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who severely criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza, "should first look in the mirror", and accused Turkey of "committing a massacre of Armenians, as well as suppression of the Kurds". After Mizrahi's remarks, Turkey summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and handed a note of protest demanding clarification, while the military denounced them as "excessive, unfortunate and unacceptable". The Israeli army chief telephoned last week his Turkish counterpart to apologize for Mizrahi's harsh remarks in an effort to prevent a deterioration in military relations with Turkey. Israel's Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi also sent an official letter to the Turkish General Staff regarding the issue. Turkey and Israel conduct joint military exercises and have a strong partnership in military equipment and arms. Trade volume between Turkey and Israel was $2.6 billion in 2007 and some suggest $1.8 billion of this is attributed to military equipment trade.

Israel Killer Drones To Counter Iran S-300?

Israel Killer Drones To Counter Iran S-300? (NSI News Source Info) February 25, 2009: Israel is developing a loitering drone capable of tracking elusive ground targets amid reports that Iran is seeking an anti-aircraft system.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is reportedly developing a killer drone, known as Harop, which can be used against "anti-aircraft systems and mobile or concealed ballistic missile launchers".

The IAI Harop (or IAI Harpy 2) is an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. Rather than holding a separate high explosive warhead, the drone itself is also the main munition. This hunter-killer is designed to loiter the battlefield and attack targets by self-destructing onto them. IAI developed the Harop for suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) missions.

Harop, which is deployed as a "fire and forget" weapon, is designed to travel over 1,000 kilometers to patrol an assigned area and attack any hostile radar activated in its vicinity.

The development comes at a time when the Israeli military is making preliminary preparations for launching a war against Iran to take out the country's nuclear infrastructure -- according to its annual work plannu for 2009.

Despite Western doubts over the success of any military plan against Iran, Israel -- which terms the country as an "existential threat" -- has repeatedly threatened to take out Iranian nuclear infrastructure through aerial strikes.

Officials in Tehran contend that the country's nuclear program is directed at the civilian applications of the technology. Israel, however, accuses Iran, a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), of developing nuclear weaponry.

While casting doubt over the possibility of an imminent Israeli attack, Iran has moved to enhance its defensive capabilities against aerial strikes through acquiring a sophisticated Russian-built anti-aircraft missile system, S-300.s

Iran is reportedly negotiating a deal with Russia to obtain the S-300 surface-to-air defense system capable of engaging up to 100 targets at once. The S-300 is a series of Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems produced by the Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation all based on the initial S-300P version. The S-300 system was developed to defend against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.

The S-300, dubbed as the "game-changer", is feared by US and Israeli weapons experts as an element that can effectively rule out a successful attack against Iran.

"If Tehran obtained the S-300, it would be a game-changer in military thinking for tackling Iran," says long-time Pentagon advisor Dan Goure. Iran is reportedly negotiating a deal with Russia to obtain the S-300 surface-to-air defense system capable of engaging up to 100 targets at once.The surface-to-air system tracks targets using a mobile radar station, immune to jamming.

The Harop drone, meanwhile, is designed to loiter over suspected locations to spot and attack targets as they are exposed right before activation. Due to its low speed and economical fuel consumption, the drone can sustain a mission of several hours over the targeted area. Harop, an advanced version of the Harpy killer drone, has been optimized to operate against enemy radars and surface-to-air missiles.

The radar killer drone is also capable of detecting suspected ballistic missile sites, where it would target missile silos and shelters as they are opened before firing. With Israeli war threats running hot and cold, Tehran has long been eying the S-300 defense system to ensure the safety of its nuclear infrastructure against a potential Israeli strike.

Tel Aviv, however, expects to surprise Iranian military officials with the loitering weapon as it can target the radar-equipped S-300 before it enters attack mode.