The quickly deteriorating situation in Syria yesterday brought an explicit warning.

Israeli air force commander Maj Gen Amir Eshel said that if the Syrian regime were to suddenly collapse, Israel would be forced to undertake a massive attack "within hours".

He said missions would include the destruction of vast stores of conventional and non-conventional weapons in Syria, to prevent them falling into the hands of militants, from Syria and elsewhere, and taking advantage of the chaos.

"If Syria collapses tomorrow, we could find ourselves acting very fast and in great numbers," the air force chief said during a conference at the Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies. 

"There is a huge arsenal parked there, just waiting to be looted. It could spread with each gust of wind and you will find yourself having to act very fast."

Eshel said the Assad regime in Syria could fall at any moment and many groups were eager to lay their hands on its stockpiled weapons.

In the past, during confrontations in Lebanon, the air force used its force in a "surgical" manner. This time, it seems, the attacks will be "heavy", to prevent the stockpile spreading, as happened after the Gaddafi regime in Libya collapsed. 

There, the attempt to stop the looting of army bases failed and the arsenal, including a large number of anti-aircraft shoulder-launched missiles, found its way to terror organisations.

According to foreign media, Israel took a few measures, including long-range strikes by the air force, to stop these weapons from getting into Gaza.

Israel is the largest exporter of unmanned air systems (UAS), according to international consulting company Frost & Sullivan. What must it do to keep its leading position? 

Frost & Sullivan says Israeli exports in the field have reached $4.6 billion over eight years, and are expected to grow at 5-10% a year until 2020.

The data shows that Israel is the world's largest exporter of UAS in terms of volume, variety of systems and the number of countries where these items were sold during the past decade.

The total sales volume includes products, services and licensing to produce these products in other countries. The figure accounts for nearly 10% of the total volume of Israel's defence exports, and this figure is expected to rise in coming years. 

The main reason for the increase estimated by Frost & Sullivan is a decision by some countries not to rely on the US as a weapons supplier.

Eran Flumin, Frost & Sullivan CEO in Israel, said that the scope of Israeli defence exports is likely to grow. He added that the country's companies continue to sign strategic partnerships with foreign firms while investing in aggressive marketing in regions - such as Africa, Asia and South America - where demand for UAS continues to grow.

The company expects UAS demand growth and continued delays in the easing of the US government's defence exports policy will enable Israeli companies to increase their exports until 2020.

Europe accounted for about 50% of Israeli UAS exports between 2005 and 2012. More than half of that volume, about $1.25 billion, relates to the Watchkeeper project, associated with the British Army, involving a joint venture between Elbit Systems and Thales. 

About 33% of total exports were intended for Asia-Pacific, while US sales were 3.9%.

Frost & Sullivan identified and analysed 20 Israeli companies that are involved in the UAS market. This list includes Aeronautics Defense Systems, BlueBird Aero Systems, Elbit, Gilat Satellite Networks and more.

The data is very encouraging for the Israeli UAS industry, but it is obvious that it will have to work hard, not only on sales, to keep that position. 

One of the main problems is the inability of the different manufacturers to co-operate, which creates fierce competition. In some cases this competition has resulted in the loss of the potential client.

The export boom is, in many ways, like a diet - it's often easy to lose weight; it's much harder to keep that weight off. 

The Brazilian market may become the "life Jacket" of the Israeli satellite industry. 

The forecasted demand for satellites in the Latin American country may supply work to the space facilities in Israel that have been operating at very low capacity in recent years.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is accelerating its penetration of the Brazilian satellite market.

The company is manufacturing very advanced image and communications satellites.

Sources say that the Brazilian market will have a demand for 10-14 satellites in the next 15 years, most of them for imaging purposes in the 100-200kg (220-440lb) category.

Recently, the Brazilian authorities issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a high capability communications satellite.

In early April, IAI signalled it plans to penetrate the Brazilian defence market, by investing in electronics company IACIT. The Brazilian company works in the defence, radar meteorology and control, automation, communication and information technology segments.

IAI subsidiary ELTA Systems signed a co-operation agreement and through its subsidiary LARDOSA signed an agreement of investment with IACIT. The agreement includes the transfer of technology to the Brazilian company to position it to capture a significant part of the nation's electronics market. 


ELTA Systems is a major defence electronics company, providing a wide range of systems in the field of radars, special mission aircraft, ISTAR, electronic warfare and communication.

IAI has a parallel co-operation with aircraft manufacturer Embraer and this may also be part of its current penetration effort into Brazil's fast-growing satellite market.

Competition will be tough and will involve many political considerations. But Israeli sources see the Brazilian market as a rare opportunity and the efforts will be appropriate.

The Israeli imaging satellite of the Offeq series and the Amos communications series are very efficient and have proved life spans that exceeded the projected ones.

Israel may act to stop any attempt to transfer Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles from Syria to Lebanon. Such a scenario is possible if the Assad regime in Syria feels it is losing control of the country in a future phase of its civil war.

According to reliable sources, at least one shipment of Russian-made S-300 missiles has been transferred to Syria.

Israeli sources say this act is a "game-changer" - especially as Syria is the middle of a bloody civil war.

Israeli sources said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) may have to act on "developing" circumstances in Syria. The S-300 missiles would pose an immediate threat to Israeli air force (IAF) aircraft flying in the area.

The sources confirm that at present there are two possible scenarios - an attempt to hit an IAF aircraft flying over Lebanon, and the transfer of some of the S-300s to the Hezbollah terror organisation in Lebanon.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on 16 May that his country plans to go ahead with its shipment of S-300 missiles to Syria.

He added that  the deal had been sealed before recent air strikes on Syria reportedly carried out by Israel.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Moscow last week to urge Russian president Vladimir Putin not to sell the state-of-the-art anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

However, the long effort that culminated in the meeting of the two leaders failed.
 The missile - one of the most advanced types used by the Russian army - can neutralise aircraft at a long distance with high precision, thanks to a sophisticated radar system combined with special sensors on the missile itself.

The S-300 missile, according to experts, is capable of overcoming part of the defence systems installed at present on board the IAF's aircraft.

The system can simultaneously handle several targets, and launch missiles according to the perceived level of threat from each target.

The S-300 missile is 7 metres long and weighs 1.5t. It's armed with a warhead weighing more than 70kg. The missile is effective at ranges up to 150km, at an altitude of up to 30km.

Foreign sources say the IAF is familiar with the capabilities of the S-300 - this after Israeli pilots flew simulated missions against batteries of the type, that are in use by some unidentified country.

One thing is clear - In addition to an unprecedented effort to get real-time intelligence about Syria's chemical weapons, now Israeli sensors are pointing at the S-300s already in the country.

It is a major step towards solving the problem of foreign objects that find their way on to airport runways around the world.

The Israeli Airports Authority (IAA) has declared the automated Foreign Object Debris detection (FODetec) system, developed by Xsight Systems, fully operational at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

The operational status was declared after evaluation and soft launch testing at the airport's primary runway.

Yair Gannot, IAA director of aviation safety, said on May 13 that during the past nine months an average of six items a month were collected from the runway. Gannot said there was "no case of FOD found by our manual inspectors that was not earlier detected and visualised by the automated FOD detection system.

"The FOD detection system is maintained by our airfield lighting maintenance team during standard night-time maintenance windows. The system requires an average of less than one hour [of] maintenance per a period of two weeks."

Alon Nitzan, president and CEO of Xsight, said the operational status is the best proof of the system's capacities.

The company says the system is a comprehensive automatic FOD detection solution, uniquely embedded in surface detection units (SDUs) that are collocated with the runway edge lights. 

The system provides a close-up view of the entire runway during day and night, including during inclement weather. The system's capabilities are based on a hybrid radar-optical sensing technology utilising optimised algorithms, advanced image processing software and close-range detection.

Scanning between each aircraft movement, FODetect not only markedly enhances safety, but also increases operational efficiency and runway capacity. The system is fully compliant with the FAA's regulation for FOD detection, as it meets, or exceeds, the highest performance levels in every parameter required.

The system is installed on the airport's primary 0826 runway, the first of three runways planned to be equipped with an FOD detection system.

FOD is an international problem. Certification in Israel opens the way for a means of dealing with it in a more efficient way.

Special forces need special weapons. Israeli companies have developed many such weapons that, in most cases, are kept out of any export list. They have been developed for Israel's needs only.

But this effort sometimes produces systems that can be exported. In recent years Elbit Systems, one of Israel's major defence contractors, has been co-operating with ATK on the development of a special air-ground system for special forces with those special requirements.

The two companies have recently received a contract through the Defense Acquisition Challenge (DAC) programme to provide a low-cost, lightweight, precision-guided missile/rocket for the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) evaluation.

The missile incorporates lock-on before and after launch and employs a penetrating warhead with sufficient kinetic energy to defeat hardened targets. 

The project directly supports a USSOCOM requirement that the companies are ready to meet with their Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket (GATR) and Precision Guided Rocket Launcher (PGRL).

The DAC project for ATK and ELBIT's GATR and PGRL is to validate desired operational and ballistic performance while employed from USSOCOM AI platforms. During the project, ATK and ELBIT will provide GATR missiles and PGRL digital smart launchers for environmental testing and operational evaluation on MH-60L/M rotary-wing platforms.

GATR's characteristics include: a semi-active laser seeker used in combat-proven laser joint direct attack munition (LJDAM), fully-qualified multi-purpose penetrator M282 warhead and an outstanding launching envelope.

GATR is launched from ATK's PGRL digital launcher and is available in three-, seven- and 19-tube variants, providing numerous stowed kills and is compatible with employing legacy unguided Hydra rockets.

 

The two companies say that the PGRL can be seamlessly integrated on to air platforms using existing digital and analogue fire control systems and can provide digital stores management for all loaded weapons.

The Israeli prime minster is expected in Moscow today in a last-minute effort to stop the sale of Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Syria.

Benjamin Netanyahu will have to bring something more than a request for understanding. If the sources know the facts, Syria has already transferred the last installment of the $900 million price tag into Russian banks.

It will be very hard to ask Putin to give up such a deal - unless the Israeli prime minister has in his briefcase a very lucrative offer.

According to some sources one such offer has been tailored by Netanyahu, US president Obama and British prime minister David Cameron.

In general this offer speaks of "assisting" Russia to keep its vested interests in Syria, after president Assad falls as a result of the country's current civil war.

The issue of the S-300 sale to Syria has been in the air for some years. A similar deal with Iran was stopped, and the Syrian one generated obscure remarks from the Kremlin every time Israel brought it up.

Israeli experts say if the plan to sell Russian S-300 missiles to Syria is carried out, president Assad will be able to neutralise Israeli air activity inside Israel.

The missile - one of the most advanced systems used by the Russian army - can neutralise aircraft at long distances with high precision, thanks to a sophisticated radar system combined with special sensors on the missile itself.

The S-300 missile, according to experts, is capable of overcoming some of the defence systems installed at present on board Israeli air force fighter jets.

"This missile is a system that can be a problem for any attacking aircraft," an expert said this week.

The system can simultaneously handle several targets, and fire from a launcher according to the perceived level of threat from each target.

The S-300 missile is 7m long and weighs 1.5t. It is armed with a lethal warhead weighing more than 70kg. The missile also has an effective range of up to 150km, at an altitude of up to 30km.

Take the inability of the Israeli government to take some decisions, add the lack of sensitivity of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu - and the harsh new steps taken only last week to fill the hole in the country's budget - and you get a scandal that rocked the country

This is exactly what happened when Netanyahu flew to England for the funeral of Margaret Thatcher .

Despite the fact that a flight to London takes only about five hours, the prime minister's office demanded a sleeping cabin with a double bed be installed on the plane.

The only Israeli airline with widebodies is EL Al, and so the cabin was installed and EL AL received  500,000 New Israeli shekels (NIS) - some $140,000.

This is not the first time Netanyahu showed he is not sensitive enough. In 2010 and 2011 he flew to European destinations and the demands were similar.

The prime minister's office said yesterday that Netanyahu had no idea how much this effort cost, and put out a "comprehensive and unambiguous" order not to do so again on short flights.

Meanwhile, despite recommendations beginning in 2009 from the Israeli general security service, the finance ministry, transportation ministry and an independent consulting firm to buy the prime minister a private plane and save millions annually, Israel still doesn't have its equivalent of Air Force One.

All this uproar could have been prevented if the government acted according to the clear-cut recommendations.

A finance ministry calculation shows that such an aircraft will have a price tag of NIS100 million, plus approximately NIS5 million in maintenance each year. The investment is expected to pay for itself within five years.

The Israeli ministry of finance has issued a request for information and started the process of selecting a dedicated VIP aircraft to fly the Israeli president and prime minister to visits in foreign countries.

The RFI includes three options: a dedicated aircraft for these official flights, a dual-use aircraft that will be operated by an airliner between official flights and a long term agreement with an airline, which will be committed to adapting one of its aircraft to the required configuration at short notice.

The RFI includes an option to use a dual-use aircraft that will be operated by the Israeli air force.

None of the options included in the RFI have been implemented, however, and the next scandal is always on the horizon.

If there seemed to be a faint sign of restoring the defence ties between Israel and Turkey, someone in Turkey has made it disappear, at least for now.

Alenia Aermacchi has signed an agreement with the Turkish undersecretariat for defence industries to deliver two ATR 72-600 Turkish maritime utility aircraft (TMUA) and six ATR 72-600 Turkish maritime patrol aircraft (TMPA) to the Turkish navy. The contract calls for strong industrial collaboration between Alenia Aermacchi and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for the duration of the project.

According to the agreement, the Turkish navy will obtain the last generation, equipped with a glass cockpit, as well as more powerful engines that guarantee best performance and supportability for the next 30 years.

The two ATR 72-600 TMUA - already in the modification phase at Alenia Aermacchi's plant in Naples - will be used by the Turkish navy for personnel and cargo transport and will be delivered in June and July 2013.

The six ATR 72-600 TMPA are designed as multirole assets to satisfy the Turkish navy maritime patrol requirement. The aircraft, named Meltem 3 in Turkey, will see the integration of the Thales AMASCOS mission system and will include new functionalities such as the automatic identification system (AIS), Link 16 and the last generation weapon systems, such as the Mk 54 lightweight torpedo.

Before the "peace flotilla" clash in 2010 that resulted in the severance of defence ties between Turkey and Israel, the first refusal for such a deal would have, without any doubt, gone to Israeli companies.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has specialised in taking an aerial platform and converting it to a mission aircraft.

The vast experience of Elta, the IAI subsidiary, in putting sensors, such as maritime radar and others, on a relatively small airframe has resulted in very good operational capabilities. But in the current climate, the Israeli company was not even an option.

In spite of continued efforts to restore relations between Israel and Turkey, the barriers are significant and Israeli companies will continue to see contracts that in the past were "in their hands" go to companies from other countries.

Defence cannot be separated from politics, even if the generals want this separation to work to allow them to perform their tasks in the most efficient way.

Every time a senior Israeli figure visits China, the question is in the air. It is not discussed openly, but is in the background.

This time, the occasion is the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to China. 

In front of the cameras Netanyahu talked about a huge potential Chinese market for Israeli companies, especially in high-tech business. But again, the subject of sales of defence hardware to China was in the background.

China has wanted Israeli systems for years, but that caused tension between Jerusalem and Washington.

Government figures indicate Israeli defence companies sold military hardware worth more than $8 billion in 2012, to a long list of countries.

But in this booming export market, China, once a promising market for Israeli weapons and electronic systems, remains off limits, largely because of Israel's ally, the US.

Washington blocked the sale of four Phalcon advanced early warning aircraft to the People's Liberation Army in 2000, citing US components used in the systems carried by the aircraft. Beijing was furious.

In 2005, Israel agreed to upgrade Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Harpy loitering weapon systems sold to Beijing in the 1990s. The US responded again with anger.

The Americans, in many ways, still point the finger at the Chengdu J-10, China's new air force fighter. It is alleged it is based on technologies developed by Israel for the Lavi fighter, a programme that was scrapped by Israel in 1987 as a direct result of massive pressure from Washington.

So, the issue is in the air again, if only far in the background, but all parties involved assess that if any change in US policy is possible, it will be a "long march".