F -22 Raptor Stealth Fighter for Israel

Aryeh Egozi of Ynet News in an amazing report claims that the Lockheed Martin F22 stealth bomber may be sold (?) to Israel.

The US has not yet exported the F22 to any of its allies. Recently,and very quietly the House of Representatives on July 1st after an 11 minute debate has lifted its nine year ban on the sale of the advanced jet outside the United States.

The single-seater plane is armed mainly with air-to-air missiles, but also with the smart air to ground missiles in use by the Israeli Air Force.

Originally, the US Air Force wanted 750 , then that dropped to 350, then to 183. Each F22 costs (give or take) US$ 150 million.

The Israeli Air Force are said to have enthusiastically welcomed reports that the stealth jet could come to Israel. The F22 Raptor is the most advanced warplane in the world and is almost undetectable to radar systems. The plane’s stealth is achieved through the combination of its shape, color, composite materials, and various installed systems.There was also talk at Farnborough last month that Japan wanted to buy 100 F-22's

Which is of no use in the war on Lebanon because they killed every radar site when the radar guided S - 802 misile slammed into an INF corvette on July 13th 17 Km off the coast and another hit and sunk a Cambodian freighter 60 Kms off the coast.

So it might be useful over say , Syria or even Iran ?

The plane is now ready for combat say the manufacturers and the pilots ...""We're ready now," said Lt. Col. Wade "Troll" Tolliver, commander of an F-22 squadron at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia this week . "If the call and flag went up today, they could call us tomorrow, and we could deploy to anywhere in the world."

Of course it would be necessary that should any be deployed, US military personnel would be required to provide assistance / training in theatre - well it makes sense. Doesn't it ?

There is a subsidiary interest as senate, Under Sen Warner have been trying hard to keep a lid on costs of this runaway project and have refused multi-year funding - succes in theatre would help both the USAF and LM Fort Worth who rely on it for employing over 1,500 people.The F 22 program has 1,000 suppliers in 42 states. Sales overseas would help and of course success in theatre would be really welcome - remember also that Australia is re-evaluating their requirement for the JSF.

Joint US / Israel Missile Security program

Apparently , security officials said on Wednesday that the US administration would significantly boost funding of the joint American-Israeli program to develop anti-missile systems.

“The threat is on the whole world, and Washington understands that a solution must be found – and fast,” a souce claimed.

Even before the current war, the security establishment assessed that all types of rockets – starting at the simple Qassam all the way to accurate long-range missiles – would be the main weapon of terrorism used against Israel in the upcoming years - well they got that right - but they keep slamming into Israel at the ratwe of 200 a day at present. Desperate times, desperate measures.

For this purpose, the Defense Ministry decided to take up a joint offer by the Rafael Advanced Development Authority Ltd. and the American Raytheon Company to manufacture an unprecedented defense system, jointly funded (?) by Israel and the US.

The initial investment amounted to US$ 250 Mn. The project’s main aim was to develop a portable system that would quickly identify rocket launches and respond immediately by destroying the enemy rockets from an aerial platform. Not much progress os far judging by results in Lebanon.

Decisions like supplying Raptors to the Israeli mass murderes means far more than lawerly finely wrought UN Security Council Motions however authored or contrived.

Watch the magician , whilst he waves his hankie in your face is stealing your wallet.