Arms Race is On

[Christina]

Reports: Russia to sell long-range fighter jets to Teheran--------------------------------------------------------------------------------yaakov katz and herb keinon, THE JERUSALEM POST Jul. 30, 2007 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Israel is looking into reports that Russia plans to sell 250 advanced long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter jets to Iran in an unprecedented billion-dollar deal. According to reports, in addition to the fighter jets, Teheran also plans to purchase a number of aerial fuel tankers that are compatible with the Sukhoi and capable of extending its range by thousands of kilometers. Defense officials said the Sukhoi sale would grant Iran long-range offensive capabilities. Government officials voiced concern over the reports. They said Russia could be trying to compete with the United States, which announced over the weekend a billion-dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Despite Israeli and US opposition, Russia recently supplied Iran with advanced antiaircraft systems used to protect Teheran's nuclear installations. At the time, Moscow said it reserved the right to sell Iran weapons, such as the antiaircraft system, that were of a defensive nature. The Sukhoi-30 is a two-seat multi-role fighter jet and bomber capable of operating at significant distances from home base and in poor weather conditions. The aircraft enjoys a wide range of combat capabilities and is used for air patrol, air defense, ground attacks, enemy air defense suppression and air-to-air combat. After years of negotiations, the Indian Air Force in 1996 purchased 40 Sukhoi-30s and in 2000 acquired the license from the company to manufacture an additional 140 aircraft...............................................................................................US Arms Deal Despite the significant increase in US military aid to Israel, defense officials warned Sunday that the sale of satellite-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia had the potential to constitute a strategic threat to the state of Israel. According to the proposed arms deal, Saudi Arabia will receive thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) - a low-cost guidance kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into accurately guided "smart" weapons. The package also proposes a 25 percent increase in US military aid to Israel, from an annual $2.4 billion to $3b. a year. Senior defense officials praised the decision to increase military aid but said that the JDAM sale to Saudi Arabia was still enough to destabilize the strategic military balance in the Middle East. The advanced weapon, these officials said, would grant Saudi Arabia the capability to accurately fire missiles at strategic sites and installations in southern Israel. "We do not have a way to defend ourselves against this weapon," a senior Defense Ministry official said, warning that the Saudi regime could be toppled and the advanced American weaponry fall into the hands of Islamic extremists. Last month, Defense Ministry Diplomatic-Military Bureau head Amos Gilad and Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan, head of the IDF Planning Directorate, met with senior Pentagon officials in Washington to discuss the proposed deal and to see if it could be changed in Israel's favor. According to senior officials, the Israeli delegation walked away from the talks disappointed and dissatisfied. An Israeli request to acquire the F-22 stealth bomber - a plane that can avoid radar detection - in order to retain its qualitative edge was also turned down, the officials said. "We were told that the plane's sale was currently off the table," another official said. "It does not look like that will change under this administration." The use to which the significant increase in military aid will be put is scheduled to be discussed by the General Staff when it convenes in August to determine the IDF's multi-year budget plan. In addition to the F-22, the IDF has expressed interest in several other advanced military platforms manufactured in the US, including the new C-130 J model, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and additional more advanced laser-guided JDAM

 

[SilentFlight]

we learn that stuff like this hs the excuse of defence, "if they have them we should get them too just i case" i dont know if it is a useful deterrant but in some ways it seems to resemble revenge "you hit me i'll hit you back." It sems pointless but i you wonder if the race was ot there would the alternative be worse?