DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Launches Surprise Live-Fire Drill In Golan

DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Launches Surprise Live-Fire Drill In Golan 
*Exercise in Golan Heights aims to test army readiness and fitness in North and Central Commands, Artillery Corps

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Yaakov Lappin - Jerusalem Post

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 19, 2012: The IDF launched a surprise drill early Wednesday morning on the Golan Heights.

Units were scrambled to the North without warning following an order was given by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.

The exercise is aimed at testing the fitness and readiness of several IDF units, with the Artillery Corps taking up center stage.

The Air Force has joined units from the IDF's Northern and Central Commands to take part in the drill. Other military forces are also taking part.

The exercise will end with a live fire exercise on Wednesday afternoon.

"This drill is part of a routine program of checks and surprise exercises held throughout the year by the IDF Comptroller. It is being held under the command of Brig.-Gen. Roee Riptin, who is the chief artillery officer," the IDF Spokesman's Unit said.

Sources in the IDF said the drill was planned ahead of time, and that it should not be seen as a sign of a change in the level of alert.

It comes on the heels of a major Golani Brigade infantry and Armored Corps drill, which was was jointly held in the Golan Heights over recent weeks.


Related News from Haaretz

*IDF Launches Surprise Live-Fire Drill In Golan Heights

The drill, to include Northern Command, Central Command, and Air Force troops, is meant to test the IDF’s readiness for an ‘emergency situation.

The Israel Defense Forces General Staff launched a comprehensive surprise drill on Wednesday, which will include the airlifting of forces to the Golan Heights and a live fire exercise, set to take place later in the evening.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz notified the units involved in the drill overnight, as the drill is meant to test the level of preparation of various units, including the Northern Command, Central Command, Air Force, and others.

The units involved specialize in offensive firepower, and for this reason they were chosen to participate in the drill, meant to test their readiness for an emergency situation.

The drill itself is expected to end in the evening, and is being overseen by the IDF’s Chief Artillery Officer, Brig. Gen. Roei Riftin, and is part of IDF efforts to examine the quality of operations, led by the IDF comptroller.

The drill was planned ahead of time and does not suggest the IDF has raised its level of preparation. However, such a test of the IDF’s ability to move a large number of forces from the Central Command to the Golan Heights, by way of helicopters, and to hold a comprehensive live-fire drill, examines the IDF’s ability to launch a serious military operation or even go to war.

A similar surprise drill was held on Yom Kippur Eve last year, involving two IDF divisions, which focused on testing the level of preparation for reserve units for emergency call-ups. Last year’s drill involved the emergency call-up of two reserve combat companies from the Central Command. Then, an IDF official said that holding the drill right before Yom Kippur was “more than a coincidence.”

Last week, the IDF began work on reinforcing the fence on the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights. Plans drafted by the IDF Northern Command call for placing dozens of new information-gathering sensors along the fence, electrifying parts of it so that it will warn of intruders, and laying mines along parts of the border.

Over the years, severe weather in the Golan Heights has battered the fence to the point where in certain places, it barely exists.

The Northern Command's main concern is the possibility that terrorists will try to launch a cross-border attack on IDF soldiers or on Israeli communities in the Golan. The army's assumption is that the deteriorating situation in Syria is liable to lead to an increase in terrorist activity near the border. Army sources said the volume of attempts to penetrate the border has already increased.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Yaakov Lappin - Jerusalem Post
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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 - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Moves Forward On Second JSF Squadron

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Moves Forward On Second JSF Squadron 
*Decision to continue comes despite reports of possible delays, rising costs. Israel could have 40 aircraft by end of decade
*Team goes to US to tailor F-35s for IAF
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Yaakoov Katz - Jerusalem Post
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 12, 2012: The IDF plans to approve the procurement of a second squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at a meeting of the General Staff later this month that will convene to finalize the military’s multi-year program.

Called Oz (Hebrew for Strength), the new multi-year program is scheduled to go into effect towards the end of the year. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz will oversee deliberations on the program over the next few weeks and will bring the final plan to the government for approval.

One of the plan’s key elements is expected to be the procurement of a second squadron of F-35s despite reports of possible delays and a rise in cost.

On Tuesday, the US Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the quality of production of the aircraft by Lockheed Martin citing a “potentially serious issue” with its electronic warfare capability.

“The committee is... concerned about production quality and whether it is sufficient to ensure the delivery of JSF aircraft to the US and its allies at an affordable price,” the committee said in a report accompanying its fiscal 2013 defense budget bill.

Israel placed an order for its first squadron of F- 35s in October 2010 for $2.75 billion. Under the deal, Israel was supposed to receive 20 aircraft but the number could drop due to the rising cost per plane. The aircraft are expected to begin arriving in Israel sometime in 2017.

The fifth-generation stealth F-35 is purported to be one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world with the ability to fly undetected in enemy territory. Its uniqueness stems not only from its stealth capabilities but also due to its integrated sensor suite which provides pilots with unprecedented situational awareness and enables the sharing of information between the various aircraft.

The second contract would likely be of a similar number of aircraft and could mean – depending on when the second deal is signed – that the IAF could have 40 operational aircraft by the end of the decade.

Senate questions over the quality of production of the F-35 will compound the mounting woes of the $396b. Pentagon program, which has already been restructured three times in recent years to extend the development phase and slow production.

Italy has already scaled back its planned orders for the new, radar-evading warplane and several other countries are slowing their orders, citing budgetary pressures. Japan has warned it could cancel its order if the cost per plane rises from what it was offered.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Yaakoov Katz - Jerusalem Post
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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 - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: 5 Rockets Hit Israel - IAF Strikes In Gaza

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: 5 Rockets Hit Israel - IAF Strikes In Gaza
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yoav Zitun - Ynet news

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 10, 2012: South still under fire as terrorists continue to launch rockets at Israel. IDF Spokesperson says terror alert remains despite successful airstrikes in Gaza.

Residents of southern Israel were still under fire Saturday evening, as terrorists continued to launch rockets from the Gaza Strip. Five Qassam rockets exploded in open areas in the Eshkol Regional Council. No injuries or damage were reported.

An IDF spokesman said that IAF aircraft hit a weapons storage facility in the northern Gaza Strip. The strike came in response to earlier rocket barrages fired from Gaza. According to the statement, the target was hit directly.

"Hamas, which uses the other groups to carry out acts of terror against the State of Israel, will be held responsible for any future operation that the IDF choose to launch in order to eliminate the threat of terror and restore relative calm to the region," the IDF statement read.

Around 8:20 pm two rockets were fired toward Ashdod and Ashkelon; both were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system. Shrapnel hit a house in Ashkelon but no injuries were reported.

Watch IAF strike weapons factory in Gaza

Two hours earlier the Color Red alert sounded in Ashdod and the Gan Yavne area. The rockets apparently exploded in open fields.

Earlier on Saturday, IDF officials expressed satisfaction over the outcome of IAF airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, which killed 15Palestinian terrorists, but noted that a terror alert was still in effect, following intelligence suggesting that terrorists from Gaza were planning to cross into the Sinai Peninsula and infiltrate Israel in order to carry out an attack.

IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said that the military decided to target the terror cell because they were planning an attack similar to that carried out in August near the southern city of Eilat.

Mordechai noted that despite the successful operation, "Some of the cell members are still alive and can carry out the attack."

The IDF spokesman said that a total of 100 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel since Friday, out of which about 30 were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

"Rockets with a range of 40km or more were fired from the Strip by the Islamic Jihad, while the shorter range rockets were launched by PRC terrorists," he said. The spokesman added that the rockets fired towards Ashdod and Ashkelon originated from the northern Gaza Strip, while rockets directed at Ofakim and Beersheba came from the central part, and rockets hitting Gaza vicinity communities were fired from the southern part of the Strip.

מתוך youtube

Watch rocket launcher hit in IAF strike

A total of 13 rockets were fired at Gan Yavne and Ashdod, out of which 11 were intercepted. Five rockets were fired at Ashkelon, out of which one was intercepted. Out of 17 rockets fired toward Beersheba, 15 were intercepted.  

All of the rockets that were not intercepted exploded in open areas. Four foreign workers from Thailand were injured in Eshkol Regional Council while working in an open field. One suffered serious injuries while the others were lightly wounded.

Earlier Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the heads of the southern regional councils and expressed his support.

Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch visited in the south and told residents: "We will continue to act against those who try to harm the State of Israel. Israel will continue to protect its citizens at all times, in all places. Israel is not interested in escalation, but will continue to thwart terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip."

Watch Iron Dome intercept rockets

Since Friday, the IDF attacked 10 terrorist cells that were launching rockets toward Israel, killing 15 terrorists. In addition to Zuhir al-Qaisi, the secretary-general of the Popular Resistance Committees terror group, targets included two top Islamic Jihad terrorists.

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit reported direct hits in all the airstrikes, stressing that no innocent civilians were hurt during the attacks.

Related stories:

• Report: Hamas leaders head to Cairo
• IAF kills 3 more terrorists
• US, EU condemn rocket fire in south 

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Yoav Zitun - Ynet news
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*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: Elbit Systems To Supply The Israeli Ministry Of Defense With Cardom Systems For Approximately $40 Million

DTN News - ISRAEL DEFENSE NEWS: Elbit Systems To Supply The Israeli Ministry Of Defense With Cardom Systems For Approximately $40 Million

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

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 18, 2011: Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT) ("Elbit Systems"), announced today that it was awarded a contract by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) in the amount of approximately $40 million to supply Cardom systems to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Manufactured by Elbit Systems' subsidiary Soltam Systems Ltd., Cardom systems were initially supplied to the IDF in 2007 and are considered among the most advanced of their kind in the world. The systems are to be supplied over a period of four years.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080408/300441 )

The Cardom systems integrate a 120mm mortar with innovative fire control, navigation, automatic aiming and propulsion systems.

The Cardom mortars are operational by various IDF infantry units, as well as various armies around the world, including the U.S. Army.

About Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international defense electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems ("UAS"), advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, airborne warning systems, ELINT systems, data links and military communications systems and radios. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing military platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial aviation applications and providing a range of support services.

For additional information, visit: www.elbitsystems.com.

Contacts:
Company Contact:	IR Contact:
Joseph Gaspar, Executive VP & CFO	Ehud Helft
Tel: +972-4-8316663	Kenny Green
j.gaspar@elbitsystems.com	CCG Investor Relations
Dalia Rosen, VP, Head of Corporate Communications	Tel: 1-646-201-9246
Tel: +972-4-8316784	e-mail: elbitsystems@ccgisrael.com
dalia.rosen@elbitsystems.com
Elbit Systems Ltd.

This press release contains forwardlooking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward Looking Statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forwardlooking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forwardlooking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forwardlooking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Elbit System

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