Israel Probes Naval Missile Defense Failure

MISSILE DEFENSE

The INS Hanit, an Israeli warship is seen enforcing a sea blockade off the Lebanese coast as Israel jet fighters bombards the country 14 July 2006. Later that day, the ship was hit by an Hezbollah missile. Photo courtesy of the Israeli Army and AFP.

by Staff Writers
Washington (UPI) Oct 17, 2006
An Israel Navy inquiry into the Hezbollah missile strike on an advanced Israeli warship in July has recommended against penalizing senior officers on the vessel, the Jerusalem post reported Monday. Four Israeli sailors were killed when a Chinese-built C-802 guided missile supplied by Iran to Hezbollah hit the INS Hanit on July 14 during the first week of the Lebanon war.

The attack came as a stunning shock to the Israeli public and military command alike for a variety of reasons. Hezbollah was not believed to have any ordnance capable of hitting Israeli warships operating in the Mediterranean.

Also, the Hanit, a Sa'ar-5 class missile ship, was regarded as one of the most technologically advanced vessels in the Israeli Navy and it had been assumed that the ship's own anti-ballistic missile defenses would give it adequate defense against such a missile attack.

The Jerusalem Post said that the committee led by Brig.-Gen. (res.) Nir Maor concluded that Israeli military intelligence was at fault for failing to uncover the missile deployment.

"Senior naval officers admitted at the time that they were taken by surprise, claiming that they did not know Hezbollah possessed such advanced capabilities and had as a result deactivated the Barak missile defense system on the ship which was capable of intercepting and destroying the missile," the Jerusalem Post said.

"The INS Hanit is Israel's most advanced missile ship and boasts an array of Harpoon and Barak anti-missile missiles, along with a system for electronically jamming incoming missiles and other threats," the newspaper said.

However, the paper added that Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, the chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, "was not satisfied with the findings presented to him on Monday and asked that additional work be done before presenting the final conclusions."

The paper noted that the investigation had set off a row between the Israeli Navy and Israeli Military Intelligence, each of whom blamed the other for not alerting the Harit's commander and senior officers on the possible missile threat.

"In the report, Maor found flaws in the transmission of intelligence information from Military Intelligence to Naval Intelligence and to the commanders of the missile ships. Navy officials claimed that they did not have the information that would have enabled them to understand that Hezbollah was in possession of advanced anti-ship radar-guided missiles," the paper said.

However, "Military Intelligence claims that the information was transmitted to the Navy three years ago," the report said.

Source: United Press International

MISSILE DEFENSE

Aerojet Wins SLIRBM Engine Development Contract

Washington (UPI) Oct 17, 2006
Aerojet has won a $4.96 million contract from the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs to develop a rocket motor over the next year for the Navy's new Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, the Sacramento Business Journal reported Monday.

SUPERPOWERS Landmark Foreign Policy Opinion Poll Criticized Russia Asks US To Clarify Its Missile Defense Plans In Europe Russia Bending To China Over Expectations On North Korea Japan Looks To Landmark Military Role In North Korean Crisis	NUKEWARS North Korea Tells World Not To Follow US, Labels Sanctions "Declaration Of War" US Warns North Korea Against Second Nuclear Test Rice Goes To Asia With Sweeping Plan For North Korea Cargo Inspections New System Needed To Prevent New Nuclear Weapons States Says IAEA Chief
MISSILE NEWS Command Destruct/Self Destruct Capability Tested In Surface-Launched AMRAAM Raytheon Awarded US Army Contract For Wireless Precision Assault Missiles Ukraine Seeks Missile Alliance With Israel BAE Systems Inertial Measurement Unit Selected For New Air-to-air Missile	MISSILE DEFENSE Aerojet Wins SLIRBM Engine Development Contract Israel Probes Naval Missile Defense Failure Raytheon Sensor Offers Air Force Early Missile Warning Alternative Northrop Grumman Bids For Army Integrated Air And Missile Defense Battle Command System
AEROSPACE China Marks 50th Anniversary Of Aerospace Industry German-Chinese Aviation Opens New Horizons For Cooperation GAO Report On Progress Of Implementing Aerospace Recommendations US Air-Transportation System Must Become More Agile	UAV NEWS Video Imagery Delivered To Military Forces In Urban Combat AAI Corp Receives Unmanned Systems Contracts US Air Force To Study A Pilotless U-2 Boeing Manned/Unmanned Light Helicopter Makes First Flight
IRAQ WARS Updated Iraq Survey Affirms Earlier Mortality Estimates Assessing The New Iraqi Army In Late 2006 US Commander In Iraq Says No More Troops Needed Now Winds Of Change In Iraq	MILTECH Boeing Completes Successful FAB-T Preliminary Design Review Lockheed Martin Rolls Out F-22 Slated For Operations In The Pacific Region Portable 'Lab On A Chip' Could Speed Blood Tests For Soldiers Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract For Global Combat Support System

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement