We interrupt your boring weekend with this piece of news:
The Israel Air Force has significantly upgraded the level of its cooperation with the United States Air Force and now receives regular updates on American procurement decisions, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
An agreement on the cooperation was reached at meetings last month between head of IAF Procurement and Equipment Brig.-Gen. Dr. Kobi Bortman and senior USAF officers in Washington and Dayton, Ohio.
Now, I wonder why the USAF and IAF would be “significantly” upgrading their cooperation. Hm. Let’s think.
LONDON, June 23 (IranMania) – Iran has produced more than 220 pounds of enriched uranium, the country’s Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi was quoted as saying about the process that can make fuel for civilian energy or fissile material for a bomb, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The semiofficial ISNA news agency carried comments by Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the interior minister, who said that Iran now has 3,000 hooked-up centrifuges actively enriching uranium.
Add this to news that the USAF and IAF ran some pretty recent training together, and it makes you go “Hmmmm.”
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the exercise was “part of a multi-year working plan involving joint flights for the purpose of mutual learning” and would be held annually.
Hmmmm.
I don’t see the point of either story. If it’s meant to be sabre-rattling, it doesn’t break any new ground and won’t spook the enemy anything he doesn’t already know.
For what it’s worth, the US Air Force is much better equipped and positioned to do the job than the IAF, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon. Israel just doesn’t have the depth of resources (in-flight refueling, stealth capabilities, ultra-long range aircraft) that the US does, and it’s not likely to change anytime soon.
The USAF has just announced a significant upgrade to the B-2 stealth long-range bomber which will allow it to carry 80 (that’s 40 x 2) 500lb JDAM’s. Each. Two sorties could theoretically neutralize Iran’s air defenses, clearing the way for the bunker-buster-laden strike aircraft to follow. Israel just can’t do that.
The thing to watch for is any indication that the IAF and USAF are sharing ID Friend/Foe (IFF) codes. Those codes would enable a deep penetration Israeli mission, or enable Israeli cruise missiles to traverse Iraqi airspace now secured by the USAF. If I were Ahmedinajad, I wouldn’t shit in the same toilet twice.
chsw
chsw, I agree about IFF. However, unless I’m mistaken, during Gulf War I, the US pointedly refused to share daily IFF codes with Israel, in spite of the SCUDs. Thus, IAF pilots would have been engaged by Coalition forces, were they to enter Iraqi air space.
If I recall correctly, the US sent several batteries of Patriot missiles to Israel, instead. From what I’ve read, the Patriots were the next thing to white elephants.
Hugh –
Those were the first-generation Patriot missiles. The current enhanced version are said to be better and have been incorporated into Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense system, with the Arrow flying top cover.
I recall that the US Air Force made a good-faith (if not futile) effort hunting for the mobile Scud launchers in western Iraq, but it still pisses me off the way Israel had to sit there and take it day after day while civilians died in their homes from the Scuds that got through.