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.
]]>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".
]]>If reports in the foreign press are accurate, Israel acted twice in 48 hours after Syria crossed a very thick red line drawn by Jerusalem.
International media have reported that the main targets in Syria - storage facilities for advanced long-range Iranian-made missiles - were hit hard.
Officially, Israel has not commented, but the attacks will have fulfilled twin aims - gaining very accurate real-time intelligence about the Fateh 110 missiles on their way from Iran to Lebanon via Syria and delivering strikes with pinpoint accuracy that triggered a long chain of secondary explosions.
Syria has some of the most robust air defences in the region.
Israeli air force jets probably launched their weapons systems from a stand-off range.
These are likely to have included the Rafael AGM-142 Popeye air-surface missile and Spice guidance kit for aerial bombs.
The attacks have increased tension in the region and Israel has closed its airspace in the north of the country to allow for fast detection of threats and unrestricted flights for the air force. Two Iron Dome batteries have also been deployed in the north.
If the reports are correct, Israel is the first foreign power to take direct action in Syria since the bloody civil war began.
But in the Middle East, crises do not develop along "normal" lines. Tension will mount in the area in the coming days with a massive mobilisation of Israeli forces, especially in the air.
]]>Cyber wars are fought in the Middle East on a daily basis and they are becoming more complex, more sophisticated and more focused.
This new type of war will change many things on the battlefield, including the way manned and unmanned aircraft are being used.
Part of the "trick" in such military cyber wars is to let the enemy think that nothing is happening.
In many cases of electronic warfare the enemy gets indications that something is wrong, but in cyber warfare the aim is to keep the operators of radar and other early warning sensors calm until the attack is over. The surprise is complete and swift.
While Israel is continuing to purchase and manufacture the most advanced weapon systems, experts in the new type of warfare are looking for the next hole in the shield.
This is a war between minds, between "wild" concepts that are based on much experience, and on the fact that the most advanced national facilities of every country rely on computers.
The firewalls are there, but the new warriors look for the smallest crack and, according to recent reports, they find them.
Can cyber attacks win a war? Can these attacks become a substitute for real weapon systems? Talking with the experts you get a somewhat contradictory picture. Some say this is the shape of wars to come, but others say this is only a complementary asset.
But one thing is obvious - the higher the importance of the target, the bigger the effort put into the cyber weapons.
The dilemma about cyber wars strongly resembles that concerning unmanned air systems (UAS). Should an airforce invest in more manned platforms or channel a limited budget to additional, more sophisticated UAS? The two dilemmas will be present for years to come because there is no general, not to mention a politician, who can, or actually wants to, make the decision.
But the dilemmas will be self-solved. UAS will continue to take over many tasks of manned aircraft at an increasing pace. The growing number of unmanned combat air vehicles programmes is enough to understand the trend.
The same thing is applicable to cyber war systems. These will become more complex and more sophisticated. Will they replace fighter jets, missiles and tanks?
Judging by the alleged use of cyber wars in the Middle East in recent years, the answer is yes. It will be a slow process, but it will happen as this is the ultimate war tool - destroying your enemy without any warning or him having any understanding of what hit him.
The "weapons" of this new type of war are being developed in secret facilities and by teams of geniuses that will probably never hold an assault rifle, but will win many wars.
In the Middle East, cyber wars are no longer something vague, they are part of everyday fighting, if press reports are to be believed.
In most cases we, the public, will never know.
]]>The right to strike is a basic one in a democratic country such as Israel. But, in recent years, this right was used by labour unions in a way that raises many questions.
The worst examples are the frequent strikes or slowdowns at Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv. Any strike or slowdown at the airport, the only one in Israel that serves scheduled airlines, cuts off the country from the world.
The way the unions have used that pressure point went too far, by any democratic standard
Now the recently formed government plans to propose legislation to effectively bar institutions that provide essential services from calling or joining a general strike. It would limit their right to strike to cases involving wage disputes, and impose mandatory arbitration proceedings for any labour or wage dispute.
Essential service institutions include Ben Gurion International airport, the Mekorot national water company, the Israel Electric Corporation and the Israel Ports Company.
Sources in the finance ministry denied reports suggesting the proposed strike prevention bill included a scheme to significantly reduce - and maybe even revoke - the labour courts' authority.
The labour court is a tool that has been used, but in many cases did not prevent strikes that caused big losses and left thousands of passengers stranded in Israel and abroad.
The proposed law is a good idea. It should be tailored to keep the right to strike but, at the same time, the right of the people to have an essential service such as air travel.
]]>What until recently was on the operational agenda of mostly western airforces is now a requirement of airforces that thought they could do without it.
Training with modern fighter aircraft has become very expensive and many defence budgets are still shrinking. An efficient training mission is only possible when all the data is recorded and can be used for debriefing and analysis.
An autonomous air combat manoeuvring instrumentation (AACMI) system is the basis for every modern air force and there is no doubt that many flying hours and, consequently, a lot of money can be saved by using it.
Using a powerful datalink, the mission can be monitored in real time and many features, such as an anti-collision warning, are increasing flight safety, which is critical for training missions.
The Israeli air force has brought the use of AACMI systems to "peaks" that are shielded by secrecy. These systems, which have been developed in Israel, enabled the IAF to prepare better for many "not common" missions.
So the word spread and the demand has grown. To take advantage of this demand, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has expanded its Ehud AACMI family so that it can be used on east European-made fighter aircraft.
IAI's Ehud is a real-time air combat, training, debriefing and safety system for fighter aircraft pilots.
The system allows high level live training with the ability to fire simulated armaments and receive real-time hit\miss assessments, as well as a high level debriefing.
The fighters can train jointly with ships, helicopters and air defence platforms, since IAI provides dedicated embedded training systems for each of these platforms.
IAI has now developed an AACMI pod in an R-73 (air-to-air missile) enclosure.
The company claims that this makes the Ehud the only AACMI pod on the market that can fit any R-73-compatible aircraft.
According to IAI, the Ehud family can be found in AIM-9L, Hellfire and R-73 enclosures, as well as in a variety of on-board LRU boxes and racks that fit ships, utility helicopters and air defence platforms.
Airforces, no matter where they are located and operate, share some basic common problems. An advanced AACMI system solves some of these.
]]>It is a strange situation. Israeli intelligence asserts Syria has used chemical weapons in the civil war, while America is still "evaluating" the situation. The Israeli air force is, of course, operating according to assessments.
As I have written in this blog a few times in recent months, Israel has all of its "sensors" on Syria in an unprecedented monitoring effort. This is to identify any use, or movement, of chemical weapons the Assad regime may have stockpiled.
The allegations of the use of chemical weapons by the regime came from Brig Gen Itai Brun, commander of the research division in the intelligence directorate of the Israeli Defense Forces.
He was very clear when describing the alleged use of chemical weapons - probably Sarin - on March 19 near Aleppo and Damascus.
The strange thing is the Obama administration declared a few times that such action would be a "red Line" that, if crossed, would result in action. But Washington has since been very vague in its assessment of the events of March 19.
Brig Gen Brun claimed that "it is quite clear that the Syrians used harmful chemical weapons", citing "different signs" including pictures of victims "foaming at the mouth".
He alleged there was "continuous" use of such weapons. "The regime has increasingly used chemical weapons," Gen Brun claimed, saying there was a "huge arsenal" of more than 1,000t of substances stockpiled in Syria.
Recently, I wrote that the Israeli air force expressed deep concern about the Syrian stockpile of chemical warfare materials.
The most explicit warning came from Israeli air force commander Maj Gen Amir Eshel.
He was not specific about what his pilots would do to foil any attempt by the regime to use the weapons as an act of panic, but said that all preparations were being made to deal with the potential threat.
These preparations have been stepped up since the comments by Brig Gen Itai Brun.
I guess that the alleged use of Sarin spurred on the Israeli air force to a high degree of operational "preparedness".
]]>The prospect of a government not fulfilling a signed agreement tipped the scale. The Israeli cabinet ratified the Open Skies Agreement with the EU on Sunday.
A few hours prior to the cabinet vote, workers from three Israeli airlines - El Al, Arkia and Israir Airlines - began a strike and thousands of passengers were stranded in Israel and abroad.
When the result of the vote was announced, the Histadrut, Israel's main trade union, declared that it would shut down Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday, suspending all flights in and out of the country.
During the cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, some 500 airline workers gathered outside the cabinet building in protest, clashing with police.
Most of the protesters could not explain why they oppose the agreement. This is most likely a result of how the three airlines have presented the issue, with many slogans, none of which are relevant.
Instead of making the right fixes in the Israeli aviation industry, the airlines, backed by the unions, have continued to blame the government for their own problems.
Members of the cabinet insisted that the deal, concluded after years of negotiations, would yield positive results for the country and the economy.
"This is the first decision by the new government aimed at bringing down the cost of living in Israel," said transportation minister Israel Katz, noting that the agreement would align Israel with European aviation standards on issues such as consumer and environmental protection. The deal would reduce ticket prices, Katz added, while boosting passenger numbers.
Katz criticized the Histadrut's efforts to block the agreement, saying that El Al had made no efforts to reorganise and become more competitive. "At El Al, there are 40 airplanes and 6,000 workers, whereas Air Berlin has 200 airplanes and 9,000 workers. By this comparison, Air Berlin should have had 30,000 workers," he said.
He is absolutely right. As stated in Ariel View last week, El Al has taken the easiest way of blaming the world for its problems, instead of making some bold decisions such as laying off 1,000 employees and returning to a seven-day week.
But why bother, when you can blame the government for deciding to join the world aviation market's new reality?
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