Israel's air force and industry have been mutually dependent for 60 years, and never more so than when the state is threatened
Brig Gen Amir Eshel points to the large photograph behind his desk. It shows two Israeli Air Force Boeing F-15s flying over the remains of Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany in 2003. "There is a lot of symbolism there," says the deputy IAF commander and chief of air staff. "First there is the responsibility we feel for making sure that never happens again. Then you have US jets, but deep inside you would not recognise them."
The picture represents "where we were and where we are now" - from holocaust to self-confident Jewish state, able to defend itself with sophisticated, largely home-grown technology. Defence manufacturers and armed forces have a symbiotic relationship in Israel, he maintains. "Together with the in-house capabilities of the air force, industry is one of the most valuable assets of our national security."
That relationship is helped by the fact that many Israeli reserve pilots work in industry and fly fighters once or twice a week - the country has a limited number of regular pilots at any one time. It means industry's understanding of the needs of the armed forces is constantly fine-tuned, says Eshel. "During the (2006 Lebanese) war, industry was incredible. We were getting solutions almost in real time."
The country and its industry must focus, he says, on its relative advantages. "In platforms and airframes we don't have that relative advantage. We could build one of the best fighters in the world, but we would only do that if we couldn't find a solution elsewhere. Our industry should be tailor-made for our needs."
Unmanned air vehicles, networking and space are the three areas that will allow the IAF to take the country's security to the next level, he says. "We have been dealing with UAVs for 25 years (since the Lebanon war of 1982). We have got over the emotional obstacle and fallen in love with them. UAVs can be used for all kinds of missions. Now the sky and our imagination is the limit," he says.
Space too has "great opportunities". He says: "We have plans to use new dimensions that relate to space. There is no clear-cut division between air and space and it is a journey, like with UAVs." Space relates to all Israel's security challenges: domestic terrorism traditional conflicts with its direct neighbours and threats from further afield such as Iran. "Assets in space are crucial for communication, offence and defence," he says. "We will see great development there."
Israel's military, he feels, is judged internationally on a "different scale" to other countries. "I am proud of what we do and how we do it," he says. "We make mistakes but they are minor and frustrating when they happen. We take our moral values from the highest level."
Source: Flight International
