March 1, 2012 Spacewar.com (AFP)

Beirut - The rebel Free Syrian Army, which "tactically" withdrew on Thursday from its Baba Amr bastion in Homs before a withering assault from regime forces, boasts thousands of soldiers but remains disorganised and outgunned.

Led by a defected colonel who took shelter in Turkey, Riyadh al-Asaad, the rebel group put up a fierce resistance during 27 days of relentless shelling of Baba Amr by regime forces.

But they had no firepower to answer a ferocious assault launched by ground troops on Wednesday on the neighbourhood, which had become the symbol of revolt against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

The rebels "have pulled out tactically in order to protect the remaining civilians," Colonel Asaad told AFP Thursday.

Asaad announced in July his defection in protest at the regime's violent repression of a protest movement that erupted mid-March, and which has now claimed more than 7,500 lives, according to the United Nations.

The group has claimed responsibility for several deadly operations against Assad's forces, particularly in the northwestern province of Idlib, near Turkey, the central city of Homs and Daraa province in the south.

In late August, the Free Syrian Army merged with the Free Officers Brigade, which was established by Colonel Hussein Harmush, who was the first army officer to announce his defection in protest at the army's brutality against unarmed civilians, siding with protesters in early June.

He succeeded in leaving Syria and establishing the Free Officers, comprising dozens of defectors, before falling back into the hands of the regime under murky circumstances.

A report by a human rights group that he was later executed has not been confirmed.

The exact number of members of the FSA remains difficult to determine but Colonel Assad told AFP in November that he had about 20,000 men. Other officers speak of up to 40,000 rebel fighters.

Most, however, have little experience in fighting, including Assad himself who previously worked in the military's IT section.

They are meanwhile facing well-trained fighting units of the Syrian army, known for their loyalty to the regime, and comprising of 140,000 to 160,000 troops, backed by powerful artillery, tanks and helicopters.

Besides the difficult task of organising disparate units scattered around the country, the Free Syrian Army lacks heavy weapons against the tanks of the regular army.

But some members of the rebel army interviewed by AFP in Syria say they expect they will soon receive anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles from foreign sources.

It is for this reason, they believe, that the regime is trying to seal off the border with Lebanon and enforce control over Baba Amr, which had become the distribution centre for smuggled weapons.

The Syrian National Council (SNC), the main opposition grouping, has announced the creation of a "military office" to organise the supply of weapons to fighters.

"We know that some countries have expressed a desire to arm the revolutionaries. The SNC, via its military bureau, wanted to organise this flow to avoid direct arms deliveries from particular countries," SNC chief Burhan Ghalioun said in Paris.

"The SNC will be this link between those who want to help and the revolutionaries. It is out of the question that arms go into Syria in confusion."

He said some weapons had been coming in from Lebanon but that the border was now almost entirely closed and border areas mined.

"We will determine our requests, our needs for arms and we will see which country to get them from," Ghalioun said.

"This is about defending civilians, not launching a war. This is about protecting the people's peaceful revolution. That is the defensive mission given to our armed groups."

Countries, including Qatar, have already indicated their willingness to supply arms to the rebels, while Kuwait's parliament has adopted a resolution calling for arming the Syrian opposition.

Parallel to the FSA, there is also the Higher Revolutionary Council created in February by General Mustafa Al-Sheikh, the highest ranking officer to defect so far.

According to Ghalioun, both entities will fall under the control of the newly-created military office.

02.03.2012 Source: xinhua

Israël Aerospace Industries ( IAI) est prête à conduire les premiers essais du système de défense antimissile Arrow 3, a indiqué ce sous-traitant de la défense, contrôlé par l'État, dans un communiqué publié jeudi soir.

« Le test initial du système sophistiqué Arrow 3 sera effectué dans un proche avenir pour confirmer l'efficacité de ce système d'interception », a déclaré Itzhak Kaya, directeur du programme de missiles Arrow Missile au sein IAI, lors d'une exposition militaire et aéronautique plus tôt ce jeudi près de Tel Aviv, rapporte ce communiqué.

« Une série de tests variés sera menée sous peu pour prouver le niveau élevé de fiabilité de ce système », a-t-il ajouté.

MOSCOU, 29 février - RIA Novosti

Téhéran a convoqué mardi l'ambassadeur azerbaïdjanais afin de protester suite aux publications faisant état de fournitures d'armes israéliennes à Bakou pour environ 1,6 milliard de dollars, selon les médias iraniens.

La diplomatie iranienne a déclaré que Téhéran ne permettrait pas à Israël d'utiliser le territoire de l'Azerbaïdjan pour mener des "actions terroristes" contre la République islamique.

D'après des sources anonymes, l'ambassadeur azerbaïdjanais, Djavanchir Akhoundov, a reconnu l'achat des armes, mais a indiqué que ces armements étaient achetés pour "libérer les territoires occupés d'Azerbaïdjan", une référence au conflit gelé du Haut-Karabakh.

"Bakou n'admettra pas que ces armes soient utilisées contre un pays tiers, notamment contre la République islamique d'Iran", a assuré le diplomate.

La semaine dernière, les médias internationaux ont annoncé, en référence à des sources au sein du ministère israélien de la Défense, que la société publique Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) entendait livrer à l'Azerbaïdjan des drones, des missiles sol-air, et des systèmes de défense anti-missiles pour un montant d'un milliard et demi de dollars.

Ces derniers temps, les relations entre Téhéran et Bakou traversent une période de forte tension sur fond de rumeurs concernant une possible intervention militaire israélienne contre l'Iran, pays frontalier de l'Azerbaïdjan. La frontière commune entre ces deux pays s'étend sur près de 600 km.

Début février, l'Iran a accusé l'Azerbaïdjan de laisser les agents du Mossad opérer depuis son territoire, notamment pour perpétrer des attentats contre des scientifiques iraniens engagés dans le programme nucléaire du pays. Les autorités azerbaïdjanaises ont qualifié ces accusations de mensongères.

29 February, 2012, RT.com

A general in the opposition militia known as the Free Syria Army has told journalists that the rebels have received French and American military assistance, amid reports of worsening violence in the stricken nation.

­In Homs on Tuesday, a general claiming to be from the rebel group appeared on camera and told a journalist from Reuters news agency that “French and American assistance has reached us and is with us.” When asked to elaborate on the nature of the assistance he added, "We now have weapons and anti-aircraft missiles and, God willing, with all of that we will defeat Bashar [President Assad]."

The international community maintains it is committed to finding a political solution to the conflict and had rejected the idea of military intervention. However, there are growing suspicions that it has been supplying the opposition with weapons indirectly.   

This is not the first report of the US covertly supplying the opposition with arms. In December, FBI translator turned whistleblower Sibel Edmonds said she believed the US had been training the Syrian opposition in neighboring Turkey and supplying arms to the country from Incirlik military base close to the Turkish-Syrian border.

In addition, Qatar and Saudi Arabia reportedly held secret meetings to offer financial support to the Syrian rebels to buy weapons.

Thus far the international community has been unable to reach agreement on a resolution to the Syrian conflict. At an emergency meeting called by the UN in Brussels on Tuesday, the Syrian ambassador accused the UN Security Council of purposely stalling and fueling the flames of terrorism in the country.

The UN has shown consistent support for the opposition movement, with both the Security Council and General Assembly repeatedly calling for the ouster of President Assad.

February 29, 2012 farsnews.com

TEHRAN (FNA) - Power of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy increased after it received renovated and optimized missile-launching frigates, dubbed as Tondar, on Wednesday.

The vessels were handed to the IRGC naval force in a ceremony attended by IRGC Navy Commander Brigadier General Ali Fadavi in Iran's Southern port city of Bushehr on Wednesday.

Addressing the ceremony, Executive Director of Missile-Launching Frigates Renovation and Optimization Project Abul-Qassem Valagohar said that over one million dollars had been spent on the project.

He added that the vessels' bodies, engines, fire-extinguishing systems, control systems, radar and defensive systems have all been optimized in the project.

Iranian Navy commanders have always stressed that the country's naval forces are capable of producing all the needed military equipments, including military vessels, submarines, torpedoes and naval missiles.

Iran in February inaugurated the production line of a newly unveiled naval cruise missile, called Zafar (Triumph).

The production line was inaugurated by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi in a ceremony at the Defense Ministry' Aerospace Industries Organization on the occasion of the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies, celebrating the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution back in 1979.

During the ceremony, the first cargo of Zafar missiles was delivered to the IRGC.

Iran's naval power has even been acknowledged by foes. In a Sep. 11, 2008 report, the Washington Institute for the Near East Policy also said that in the two decades since the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, the Islamic Republic has excelled in naval capabilities and is able to wage unique asymmetric warfare against larger naval forces.

According to the report, Iran's Navy has been transformed into a highly motivated, well-equipped, and well-financed force and is effectively in control of the world's oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz.

The study says that if Washington takes military action against the Islamic Republic, the scale of Iran's response would likely be proportional to the scale of the damage inflicted on Iranian assets.

29/2/2012 Amir Rapaport – Israel defence

In a special interview with Rafael’s Marketing VP, Lubra Drori reveals Rafael will sell additional Spike missiles to Germany

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has signed a contract to supply additional Spike missiles to Germany via its German subsidiary, Eurospike. The deal, worth hundreds of millions of US dollars, was revealed by Luba Drori, Rafael’s Marketing VP.

The Spike missiles are a family of missiles with various operational ranges and similar operational principles: they all possess electro-optic guidance and a doubled (tandem) warhead, intended to penetrate reactive protection. The initial warhead detonates the reactive protection while the second warhead penetrates the passive armor via a hollow charge.

The missile has four rectangular fins that it uses to guide itself towards the target. It is possible to launch the various Spike versions through several means: from a helicopter, from a vehicle, and even a shoulder-mounted missile launcher. The Spike LR has an effective operational range that is between 200 to 4,000 m.

29 février 2012 Blog Tsahal

Les véhicules sans pilote, dans l’air, sur terre ou sous l’eau, sont devenus indispensables pour surveiller les activités de l’ennemi. Leur principal atout : ils permettent de voir sans être vu. Ces robots sont contrôlés à distance par des soldats dont la vie est protégée. A travers le regard d’officiers de Tsahal, experts en la matière, découvrez ou redécouvrez deux  véhicules sans pilote développés et fabriqués en Israël, et déployés aux frontières du pays.

L’ennemi vu du ciel : le drone Eitan

Le Eitan a été développé en Israël et révélé pour la première fois au public en 2007. En 2010, l’armée de l’air a finalement introduit le drone  Eitan, une version plus récente du Heron. Le Eitan a une envergure de 26 mètres, presque équivalente à celle d’un Boeing 737. Ce drone est capable d’effectuer des missions de longue portée et peut rester en l’air pendant 36 heures sans interruption. Le Eitan peut voler à 40 000 pieds, transporter 1000 kg d’équipement et il pèse 5 tonnes. Il a été conçu pour transporter différents types d’équipement et est donc utilisable pour remplir un grand nombre de missions. Il résiste à toutes les conditions météorologiques. Équipé d’un système automatique de dégivrage, un système de décollage et d’atterrissage et une multitude de capteurs qui peuvent lui être intégrés.

Le drone Eitan

“Une grande partie des vols de l’armée de l’air effectués dans le cadre d’opérations sont assurés par les drones, la majorité même. A tout moment, 24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7, des drones de l’armée israélienne sont en activité,” a déclaré le Lieutenant-colonel Ido, Commandant du Centre de Formation aux Véhicules sans Pilote de l’Armée de l’Air Israélienne.

“Les soldats responsables de faire fonctionner les drones sont soigneusement sélectionnés. En moins d’une seconde, ils prennent des décisions décisives où la vie et la mort sont en jeu. Ils doivent faire la différence entre des terroristes, des femmes, des enfants, et nos soldats. Ils travaillent depuis une salle sécurisée, et ils ne sont pas plus exposés au danger qu’une personne qui se balade sur une plage de Tel Aviv. Ce type de responsabilité exige un profond sens des valeurs : ils savent distinguer le bien du mal.”

Le meilleur ami de l’homme : le Guardium

Le véhicule sans pilote Guardium est un système autonome d’observation et d’interception, développé et fabriqué en Israël. Il est basé châssis de Tomcar, un véhicule tout-terrain de fabrication israélienne, capable de transporter des charges de 300 kg dont un grande variété de matériel électronique, d’armes et de systèmes de défense. Il peut être actionné depuis un centre de commande, et il est capable de patrouiller sur des routes préablement déterminées sans intervention humaine. Dans le cas où il identifie une activité suspecte, il dispose d’une multitude d’options pour retenir les éléments suspects jusqu’à l’arrivée des soldats. Ses nombreux capteurs, ses microphones, ses haut-parleurs puissants et ses deux radios, sans oublier sa vitesse pouvant atteindre les 80 km/h font de lui un partenaire très fiable, capable d’effectuer des patrouilles dans des zones particulièrement dangereuses.

Les soldats qui contrôlent ce véhicule sans pilote peuvent eux rester à l’abri, loin derrière les lignes ennemies. Ils peuvent ainsi garder leur sans froid puisque leur vie est protégée, et aborder de la meilleure la plus professionnelle et la plus efficace des situations critiques. Libérés d’une bonne dose de pression, les soldats peuvent calculer et réfléchir plus calmement et prendre la bonne décision. Ainsi, cette distance par rapport au champ de bataille protège les soldats, mais aussi la vie de civils innocents.

28 février 2012 par Edouard Maire – INFO-AVIATION

Des responsables du ministère de la défense israélien ont confirmé le 26 février qu’une transaction de 1,6 milliard de dollars avait été signée avec l’Azerbaïdjan pour lui fournir des drones antiaériens et des systèmes de défense antimissile.

Cette vente réalisée par Israël Aerospace Industries porte une technologie sophistiquée israélienne à la porte de l’Iran, mais aussi face à l’Arménie qui est l’ennemi juré de l’Azerbaïdjan.

Fort des devises que lui rapporte la manne pétrolière, le régime du président de l’Azerbaïdjan est désireux avant tout de moderniser son armée dans le but éventuel de reconquérir le Haut-Karabagh en Arménie. Israël peut lui en fournir les moyens, notamment avec des drones, dont un spécimen avait été abattu le 12 septembre 2011 par les forces armées du Karabagh (voir la vidéo).

L'épave du drone azéri abattu par l'armée du Karabagh en septembre 2011.

Depuis mars 2011, une société mixte israélo-azérie se charge d’assembler en Azerbaïdjan les pièces de ces drones israéliens dont la plupart sont destinés à équiper l’armée azérie.

En septembre 2011, Azéris et Israéliens avaient évoqué la possibilité de lancer la construction commune de drones de combat, équipés de missiles. En octobre, une commande de 60 drones israéliens avait été annoncée pour équiper l’armée d’Azerbaïdjan qui utilise déjà des engins de type Hermes 450 de Elbit Systems ainsi que des drones de reconnaissance d’IAI.

En réaction à cette entente économique, les forces armées arméniennes avaient exhibé pour la première fois en septembre 2011 lors d’un défilé leur drone Krunk-25, de fabrication locale.

« Nous avons des drones capables d’effectuer des missions en profondeur dans le territoire de l’ennemi » avait alors déclaré le colonel Armen Mkrtchian, vice-commandant des forces aériennes arméniennes.

Pour autant, les performances du Krunk-25 sont modestes. Cet appareil peut voler à une altitude maximale de 4.500 mètres, à une vitesse de croisière de 150 km/h. Son autonomie ne dépasse pas les 5 heures. Réalisé par l’institut des forces aériennes arméniennes, il est utilisé pour des missions de renseignement, grâce à une caméra placée sous son fuselage. Et d’après le vice-ministre arménien de la Défense, il est question de proposer le Krunk-25 à l’exportation.

L’Azerbaïdjan, un allié face à l’Iran ?

L'Azerbaïdjan est à la porte de l'Iran.

Mais la préoccupation la plus pressante d’Israël est le programme nucléaire de l’Iran. Les dirigeants israéliens ont laissé entendre qu’ils seraient prêts à attaquer les installations nucléaires iraniennes s’il n’y a pas d’autre moyen de dissuader Téhéran de construire la bombe atomique.

Difficile de dire si le contrat d’armement avec l’Azerbaïdjan est lié à des plans d’attaque israéliens pour frapper l’Iran. Les responsables de la défense israéliennes ont parlé sous couvert d’anonymat.

Danny Yatom, un ancien chef du Mossad, l’agence d’espionnage israélienne, a déclaré que cette vente d’armes était une coïncidence.

« Un tel accord prend du temps pour arriver à maturité », a t-il déclaré à l’agence Associated Press, ajoutant qu’Israël continuerait à vendre des armes à ses alliés. « Et si cela nous aide à contrecarrer l’Iran, c’est encore mieux », a t-il conclu.

Les liens d’Israël avec l’Azerbaïdjan se sont accru alors que la forte relation stratégique avec la Turquie, autre voisin de l’Iran, s’est détériorée depuis l’assaut d’un commando israélien sur une flottille pour Gaza qui cherchait à violer le blocus israélien, et qui avait causé la mort de 9 Turcs le 31 mai 2010.

Pour le renseignement israélien, il y a aussi un autre avantage à s’allier avec l’Azerbaïdjan : ses importants contacts transfrontaliers et son commerce avec l’Iran grâce à son importante communauté ethnique azérie.

Récemment, le ministère iranien des Affaires étrangères a accusé l’Azerbaïdjan de permettre à des agents du Mossad d’opérer sur son territoire et de fournir un couloir pour « terroristes » destinés à tuer des scientifiques nucléaires iraniens.

L’Azerbaïdjan a rejeté les demandes iraniennes les qualifiant de « mensonges calomnieux ». Les dirigeants israéliens, eux, ont fait allusion à des opérations clandestines contre l’Iran sans les évoquer directement ni en admettant une participation.

Mais une rupture diplomatique entre les deux États est peu probable. L’Azerbaïdjan constitue une voie importante pour les biens iraniens dans la région du Caucase et les deux nations ont signé des accords avec les nations de la mer Caspienne sur l’énergie et les politiques environnementales.

February 28, 2012 Yael Livnat / IDF – defpro.com

IAF official notes unprecedented cooperation between air and ground forces, citing common language and close dialogue

On Sunday (February 28), the Israeli Air Force's (IAF) unit for cooperation held a seminar at the Palmahim airbase for officers in courses to become brigade and battalion commanders.

The seminar, which was attended by dozens of officers, focused on deepening cooperation at high level commands and sharpening the common language between blue and green corps.

The day opened with commander of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Ido Nechushtan, speaking about cooperation between the arms. The various cooperative efforts between the two branches were covered in depth, ranging from battle formations to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and attack helicopters.

"The main goal of the seminar is to improve the level of cooperation with the Air Force, which already stands at a good level, and with proper preparation and maintain an emphasis on the issues, we can cooperate further," said the operations officer from the Southern GOC, Guy Bitton, who will soon be appointed Sagi brigade commander.

"This is an important opening salvo. Any future commander here today will be committed to implement the lessons learned here today. We are here to share our needs, wants, and expectations from each other and this is an essential step," said Lt. Col. Bitton, who commended the close cooperation between air and land forces during the terrorist attack north of Eilat last August. "The challenge is that if we encounter another attack, the Air Force's activation will be more effective and can work well with our brigade, and these are the primary conclusions we reached today."

photo worldwide-defence

February 28, 2012 defpro.com

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will present new solutions for landing and take off of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), implemented in the Panther UAS, at the 52nd Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences.

The Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences is held every year by the Israel society of aerospace sciences. Lectures are given by world leading experts and representatives from the Israeli defense and Hi-Tech industries, the Israel Air Force, and leading Israeli academic institutions.

This year's conference will be held on February 29th at Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv and on March 1st at the Technion Campus in Haifa. New aeronautical, commercial and military aviation state-of-the-art technologies will be presented by first-class experts from various countries. Chair of the program committee is Gila Ghilai from IAI.

Optimization of prop-rotor design for V/STOL electrically powered UAS is one of the subjects that will be presented by IAI's experts. A prop-rotor design method for an electric propulsion system will be explained in details. The design was adapted for IAI Panther UAS, powered by three electrical engines. The Panther is designed for vertical take-off and landing like a helicopter, and level straight flight as a fixed-wing aircraft.

Prop-rotor design problem involves a compromise between two different flight conditions: hover and cruise. This drives the designer to use multidisciplinary design optimization methods. The design framework is based on ESTECO modeFrontier® design environment. The process formulation refers to a multi-goal design problem with several design constraints.

Among other subjects to be presented by IAI's experts are: missile guidance, structural integrity of aircraft, recent innovations in IAI's new business jet program, specialized airframe technology for UAS and civil applications for UAS and Maritime UAS.

THE PANTHER UAS

With its 3 ultra-quiet electrical motors, the Panther tactical UAV, which weighs roughly 65 kg, can takeoff and land vertically on any unprepared area. The Panther utilizes Tilt Rotor technology for maneuvering the platform in various modes: pinpoint hovering like a helicopter, and straight and level efficient endurance flight like a fixed wing aircraft. A typical mission can take approximately 3 hours, at an altitude of 2000 feet above ground. It can not be heard or seen from the ground. The operational range is 25-50 km according to mission profile. The Panther is equipped with an advanced autonomous flight control system controlling the transition between the various modes as well as during the Automatic Vertical Takeoff and Landing (AVTOL) phases. The Panther UAS carries IAI's Mini-POP (Plug-in Optronics Payload) – a day/night stabilized camera including, in addition to specific customer's requirement, a laser range finder, laser pointer or laser designator.

MOSCOW, February 27 (RIA Novosti)

Russia has modernized two radars in Syria and Lebanon that could threaten U.S. or Israel’s ability to launch a surprise attack against Syria and Iran, Israeli DEBKAfile portal said on Monday.

The range of the Jabal Al Harrah electronic and surveillance station south of Damascus has been increased to cover all parts of Israel and Jordan, the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Saudi Arabia.

The range of a Russian-equipped Syrian radar stationed on Lebanon’s Mount Sannine has also been extended, and the data-sharing capability of both radars has been improved.

As a result, the radars are now capable of tracking “U.S. and Israeli naval and aerial movements in the Eastern Mediterranean up to and including Cyprus and Greece.”

“Moscow decided to boost its radar tracking and surveillance reach for Iran’s benefit in response to a complaint from Tehran that it could not longer count on Russia for a real-time alert on an incoming U.S. or Israeli military strike, because those resources were stretched to the limit in support of the Assad regime,” DEBKAfile said citing its sources in the U.S. military.

Russia is alarmed by the growing threat of a military strike on Iran, which is increasingly reported as being an option under consideration by Israeli and U.S. military planners as Tehran continues to move ahead with its uranium enrichment program.

Moscow proposes to recognize Iran’s right to develop a civilian nuclear program, including the right to enrich uranium in exchange for placing the country’s nuclear activities under the tight control of the International Atomic Energy Agency

At the same time, Russia has strongly opposed foreign interference in a political crisis in Syria and warned against a “Libyan scenario” in the country.

Earlier in February, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-backed resolution calling on the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Moscow believes that attempts to bring democracy through military intervention in the Arab world would compromise the existing system of international security and “backfire with catastrophic consequences to the world.”

February 27, 2012 HAARETZ (AP)

Israeli defense officials on Sunday confirmed $1.6 billion in deals to sell drones as well as anti-aircraft and missile defense systems to Azerbaijan, bringing sophisticated Israeli technology to the doorstep of archenemy Iran.

The sales by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries come at a delicate time. Israel has been laboring hard to form diplomatic alliances in a region that seems to be growing increasingly hostile to Israel. Its most pressing concern is Iran's nuclear program, and Israeli leaders have hinted broadly that they would be prepared to attack Iranian nuclear facilities if they see no other way to keep Tehran from building bombs. Iran denies Israeli and Western claims it seeks to develop atomic weapons, and says its disputed nuclear program is designed to produce energy and medical isotopes. In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran's nuclear program will take center stage in his upcoming talks with U.S. and Canadian leaders. Netanyahu is to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa on Friday and with President Barack Obama in Washington on Monday. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said a UN nuclear agency report last week buttressed Israel's warnings that Iran is trying to produce a nuclear bomb. The agency said Iran has rapidly ramped up production of higher-grade enriched uranium over the last few months. Netanyahu said the report provided "another piece of incontrovertible evidence" that Iran is advancing rapidly with its nuclear program. It was not clear whether the arms deal with Azerbaijan was connected to any potential Israeli plans to strike Iran. The Israeli defense officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not at liberty to discuss defense deals. Danny Yatom, a former head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, said the timing of the deal was likely coincidental. "Such a deal ... takes a long period of time to become ripe," he told The Associated Press. He said Israel would continue to sell arms to its friends. "If it will help us in challenging Iran, it is for the better," he said. Israel's ties with Azerbaijan have grown as its once-strong strategic relationship with another Iranian neighbor, Turkey, has deteriorated, most sharply over Israel's killing of nine Turks aboard a ship that sought to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2010. For Israeli intelligence, there is also a possible added benefit from Azerbaijan: Its significant cross-border contacts and trade with Iran's large ethnic Azeri community. For that same reason, as Iran's nuclear showdown with the West deepens, the Iran sees the Azeri frontier as a weak point. Earlier this month, Iran's foreign ministry accused Azerbaijan of allowing the Israeli spy agency Mossad to operate on its territory and providing a corridor for "terrorists" to kill members of Iranian nuclear scientists. Azerbaijan dismissed the Iranian claims as "slanderous lies." Israeli leaders have hinted at covert campaigns against Iran without directly admitting involvement. Israel, meanwhile, recently claimed authorities foiled Iranian-sponsored attacks against Israeli targets in Azerbaijan. Such claims have precedents: In 2008, Azeri officials said they thwarted a plot to explode car bombs near the Israeli Embassy; two Lebanese men were later convicted in the bombing attempt. A year earlier, Azerbaijan convicted 15 people in connection with an alleged Iranian-linked spy network accused of passing intelligence on Western and Israeli activities. Iran has denied Azerbaijan's latest charges of plotting to kill Israelis, but a diplomatic rupture is unlikely. Azerbaijan is an important pathway for Iranian goods in the Caucasus region and both nations have signed accords among Caspian nations on energy, environmental and shipping policies.

photo UK MoD

28 février 2012 Guysen International News

Un haut-gradé américain a indiqué qu'Israël, le Canada et les Emirat devraient être les premiers pays à acheter le V-22, cet appareil mi-hélicoptère mi-avion à décollement vertical doté de 2 moteurs à hélice. Israël a certes manifesté un intérêt pour cet hélicoptère, mais n'a pas encore reçu de proposition de prix. En attendant, les fabriquants tentent de réduire les coûts de production.