Turkey's sat-launcher plans raise concerns

Ankara'swestern allies worry that the Turks intend to use their own launching pad to fire the long-range missiles they hope to build in the medium- to long-run, as DefenseNews.com website reports. Turkey's procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), in early July signed a contract with the country's national missile manufacturer, Roketsan, to build the Turkish Satellite Launching System (UFS) for pre-conceptual design work. In 2011, Turkey announced plans to develop a missile with a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers, not revealing whether it would be ballistic or cruise. Although little information about the program has been released, a Turkish cabinet minister in January confirmed that Turkey possesses capabilities to produce a missile with a range of 800 kilometers. (Read more)

Israel Attacks Another Syrian Missile Cache Weeks After Russian Missile Attack

 

Just two weeks after it came to light that Israel attacked a Russian missile compound in Syria in an act that may have been related to the massive 160,000 troop Russian ‘combat ready’ drill, new reports have surfaced that Israel has once again bombed Syrian missiles via Israeli air force jets.   Reports coming in from Arutz Sheva (Israeli National News) detail the latest attack by Israel, this time hitting trucks that were said to be carrying Syrian missiles headed for a Hizbulla warehouse in Lebanon. (Read more)

Israeli equips warships with Barak 8 missiles

 

The missile is being installed on Sa’ar 5-class warships, Israeli media reported on Sunday. The new missiles are co-developed by India and Israel. The missile’s radar allows operators to simultaneously engage multiple targets, and intercept an incoming missile as close as 500 meters from a naval craft.The missiles, which have a maximum operational range of 70 kilometers, are aimed at countering Russian-produced “ship killing cruise missiles” Yakhont said to be in Syria’s possession.

Raytheon y Chemring Group planean el lanzamiento de misiles para la siguiente fase del desarrollo de la CENTURION

 

Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) y Chemring Group (LSE: CHG) están concluyendo los planes para llevar a cabo un lanzamiento real de misiles desde la lanzadera multirole CENTURION® en el Polígono de Entrenamiento Militar de Salisbury Plain durante el Q4 de 2013.

 

 

"Nuestro plan es lanzar un misil para comprobar nuestra capacidad de respuesta contra un proyectil rápido de superficie" ha dicho Rick Nelson, vicepresidente de la línea de producto Naval en Raytheon Missile Systems. "La lanzadera Chemring CENTURION®, combinada con los misiles de Raytheon, constituye una nueva dimensión en sistemas de autodefensa naval." Para Mark Papworth, CEO de Chemring Group, "La combinación de CENTURION® con misiles Raytheon constituye una solución asequible y versátil a fin de proporcionar un adecuado nivel de respuesta contra una amplia variedad de amenazas."

Pakistan protesta por el ataque de los Estados Unidos en Waziristan

Pakistan ha condenado con dureza el ataque llevado a cabo hace unas horas en Waziristan, que ha terminado con la vida de siete personas. Todos los indicios apuntan a que el ataque se ha llevado a cabo mediante un misil AGM-114 "Hellfire" disparado desde un UAV General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" .

Sistemas anti Yakhont para la Marina Israelí

 

La Marina Israelí ha comenzado a instalar un nuevo sistema defensivo en sus buques al objeto de protegerlos frente a un posible ataque con misiles antibuque desde territorio sirio. En este caso se trata del sistema denominado Barak 8, diseñado para interceptar amenazas aereas tales como aeronaves, UAVs, misiles antibuque y misiles de crucero, aunque en este caso esta pensado como la opción más indicada para interceptar misiles Yakhont.

Israel protesta por las filtraciones sobre el ataque en territorio Sirio

 

 

Israel ha expresado al Pentágono su desacuerdo por las filtraciones a la prensa tras el ataque israelí con misiles llevado a cabo el pasado 5 de julio en el puerto sirio de Latakia, durante el cual fue destruido un cargamento de 50 misiles antibuque Yakhont de fabricación rusa. La noticia sobre el ataque fue publicada por la CNN el pasado 12 de Julio y un dia más tarde por el New York Times. A juicio de Israel, tales filtraciones a la prensa provenientes de fuentes militares norteamericanas incrementan extraordinariamente el riesgo de que se produzca un ataque del regimen sirio a Israel, incrementando asimismo el riesgo de que se desate una guerra total en Oriente Medio.

Estados Unidos: Aumenta la preocupación sobre su capacidad de respuesta frente a misiles balísticos

 

 

El Pentágono está moviendo ficha con su despliegue de radares y sistemas antimisiles en Emiratos Arabes Unidos (AN/TPY-2), Guam (THAAD), Japón (AN/TPY-2), Jordania (Patriot) y Turquía (Patriot). Este despliegue responde a las amenazas provenientes de Corea del Norte, y a la posibilidad de que se desate en cualquier momento una guerra total en Oriente Medio. La precaución de Estados Unidos no resulta exagerada en modo alguno, ya que se estima que existen más de 6.300 misiles balísticos fuera de control norteamericano, ruso o chino, cifra que según la MDA podría llegar a las 8.000 unidades para el año 2020.

Corea del Norte: Nuevo show de misiles en el aniversario del fin de la guerra

Actualmente se cree -o al menos se tiene en cuenta a la hora de plantear hipótesis- que el ejército de la Republica Popular Democrática de Corea del Norte cuenta en su arsenal con un buen puñado de misiles de largo alcance.

 

En este sentido merece la pena recordar el desfile del año pasado, en el que se mostraron seis misiles KN-08 montados sobre lanzaderas de fabricación china. Para David Stone, profesor de historia en la Kansas State University y experto en armamento ruso "Lo bonito de un desfile es que las armas no tienen por qué funcionar para causar una buena impresión. Una lanzadera de misiles causa impacto aun cuando el misil que transporta no tenga posibilidades de ser disparado." 

Efectivamente, para la mayoría de expertos tan solo se trataba de maquetas por varias razones que no vamos a tratar en este post. De momento se descarta que aun existiendo tales misiles éstos constituyan en modo alguno un peligro -pues ni siquiera existen indicios de que el regimen comunista haya desarrollado ojivas nucleares de tamaño reducido-, pero en cualquier caso habrá que estar alerta. 

 

A Fleet of Blimps Will Soon Serve as a Missile Shield Over Washington

They can spot and track incoming cruise missiles, mine-laying ships, armed drones, or anything incoming from hundreds of miles away in 360-degrees and react in real-time. Perhaps most impressively, the JLENS system can stay in the air watching over a base or a city for up to 30 days, all day and all night, without needing to be resupplied or refueled. (Read more)

South Korea: Mid-term defense program focuses on missile defense against N. Korea

 

Seoul has been gradually building an independent, low-tier missile shield called the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) since 2006 by acquiring Patriot missiles and long-range early warning radars. The budget draft also includes the additional purchase of PAC-2 missile interceptors and upgrading the current system to PAC-3 to deter North Korean missiles. After Pyongyang successfully launched a long-range rocket last December and conducted its third nuclear test in February, Seoul has been speeding up to establish a pre-emptive missile destruction system, so-called "Kill Chain," to detect and strike North Korea's missile and nuclear facilities. The Kill Chain is designed to detect signs of impending missiles or nuclear attacks from the communist country and launch pre-emptive strikes to eliminate the threat by using its advanced cruise and ballistic missiles to support its present missile defense system. (Read more)

The Risky Missile Systems That Syria’s Rebels Believe They Need

Since the civil war in Syria erupted more than two years ago, one type of weapon has been a source of persistent fascination and dispute: heat-seeking, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Depending on who uses them, these missile systems could either down a MIG attack jet on a bombing run or a passenger-laden Airbus during an airport approach. (Read more)

As Tensions with West Rise, Moscow Looks to Asia

The various U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) initiatives in Europe and elsewhere have been the most immediate source of Russia-West tensions. Although the Obama administration has twice restructured its BMD deployment plans in ways that should have pleased Moscow, Russian officials continue to depict U.S. missile defenses in Europe as threatening Russia’s vast land-based missile arsenal. In the Middle East, Russia has been arguing that diplomacy rather than missile defenses can best moderate Iranian nuclear and missile ambitions. In East Asia, Russian analysts have implied that the United States is using North Korean missile launches to augment its BMD and other military assets in Asia as well as strengthen its alliances with Japan, South Korea, and other countries in ways that could adversely impact Russia’s security. Although Russians recognize that the U.S. missile defenses in California and Alaska are not presently very effective, they profess to fear that the United States could achieve a revolutionary breakthrough that could render the U.S. homeland considerably less vulnerable to Russia’s nuclear deterrent. (Read more)

Enhancing South Korean–U.S. Naval Capabilities Is Critical to American Interests

 

After two North Korean attacks in 2010, South Korea began to redress its naval shortcomings, but deficiencies remain that could put allied interests at risk during the next military conflict. South Korea needs to strengthen its anti-submarine warfare, amphibious, and C4ISR capabilities. The United States needs to reverse course on its defense budget reductions, which are raising doubts among U.S. allies (and enemies) about the ability of the U.S. to keep its security commitments. Beyond putting its fiscal house in order, the U.S. needs to work to improve bilateral and trilateral defense cooperation among South Korea, Japan, and the United States. (Read More)

Kehler lauds capability, credibility of nuclear enterprise

Kehler was deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command during the August 2007 "Bent Spear" incident in which nuclear-equipped missiles were mistakenly transported nearly 1,500 miles on the wing of a B-52 Stratofortress. (Read more)

Anti-missile system JLENS to be launched in East Coast skies next year

Successful tests of the U.S. Army's anti-missile blimp system called JLENS at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, completed in June, means the two "aerostats" should next be stationed outside Baltimore and 10,000 feet up in the air, in September of 2014, says Douglas Burgess of defense contractor Raytheon, which manages the program. (Read more)

Thirty-year-old missile defense system is a strategic necessity

North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile and the defense department believes that the nation may soon be capable of building a nuclear-armed missile. Meanwhile, Iran remains a serious threat — the nation already has missile capability, it's working to develop inter-continental missiles (ICBMs) and it's committed to developing nuclear weapons. These threats are reminders of why the United States has invested decades of research into developing missile defense systems. While missile defense may have been a politically divisive issue when it was first proposed by President Ronald Reagan 30 years ago, the need for such capability is no longer in doubt. (Read more)

Even more missile interceptors possible at Greely

 

The number of interceptor missiles at Fort Greely could rise beyond the level announced earlier this year, depending on threats from other nations, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said. In March, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the Obama administration had decided to increase the number of missiles at Fort Greely to 44 in response to actions by North Korea. (Read more)

China deploys new class of strategic missile submarines next year

 

“We are anticipating that combat patrols of submarines carrying the new JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile will begin next year,” said one official familiar with recent intelligence assessments of the Chinese strategic submarine force.

 

 

The submarine patrols will include scores of new JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) on the Type 094s. The submarines are also called Jin-class missile boats by the Pentagon. The Washington Free Beacon first reported in August that China carried out a rare flight test that month of the JL-2, a missile analysts say will likely be equipped with multiple warheads.

 

 

Defense officials said the JL-2 poses a “potential first strike” nuclear missile threat to the United States and is one of four new types of long-range missiles in China’s growing strategic nuclear arsenal.The Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center earlier this month published a report on missile threats that identified the JL-2 a weapon that “will, for the first time, allow Chinese SSBNs to target portions of the United States from operating areas located near the Chinese coast.” SSBN is a military acronym for nuclear missile submarine. In addition to the three Type 094s currently deployed, China will add at least two more of the submarines before deploying a new generation missile submarine dubbed the Type 096, the report stated. It was the first time the Pentagon has revealed the existence of the follow-on strategic missile submarine.“The JIN-class and the JL-2 will give the PLA Navy its first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent,” the Pentagon report said.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/23/china-deploy-new-strategic-missile-class-submarine/#ixzz2ZsU9eX9E
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Images show construction halt at North Korean missile launch site

 

An eight-month construction standstill at a North Korean site meant to launch bigger and better long-range rockets may signal Pyongyang is slowing or even stopping development of larger rockets, according to a new analysis of recent satellite imagery.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/23/images-show-construction-halt-at-north-korean-missile-launch-site/#ixzz2ZsSKsSgc

Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces Start Snap Combat Drills

The drills involved over 160,000 servicemen, 130 aircraft, 5,000 tanks and armored vehicles, 70 Pacific Fleet warships, five Russian armies, the Third Air Force, Air Defense Command and strategic aviation. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said: “Such exercises have not been held since the Soviet era, or perhaps even during that period.” (Read more)

Israel Boosts Missile Defense in South Amid Sinai Chaos

“We hear reports every day of attacks there and our concern is that the guns will be turned on us,” Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said. “We have indeed strengthened our deployment along the border.” He was speaking on a visit to an “Iron Dome” missile defence system that was deployed last week in the southern town Eilat.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/180989/israel-boosts-missile-defense-in-south-amid-sinai/#ixzz2ZsNfaKJ5

Exploring The Parks: Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

If you are old enough to remember the Cold War with its “duck and cover” drills at school, or sweating it out with the rest of the nation as we watched anxiously to see if President Kennedy could make the Soviets back down during the Cuban missile crises, then you will surely remember the Minuteman nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile.

Minuteman missiles were part of a huge, complex, and very frightening weapons system designed to provide what was referred to as “Mutual Assured Destruction” in the years between the end of World War II, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991.

 

 

As tensions escalated between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union, U.S. military devised a plan to keep U.S. safe through deployment of so many nuclear-tipped Minutemen that it would be impossible for an enemy to neutralize all of them. For over 30 years, two Air Force officers (on rotating shifts with other duos) waited underground in all those control centers ready to turn the keys that would bring about the end of the world.

 

 

At Minuteman Missile National Site, you’ll have the chance to ride a small elevator down into one of those control centers. (Read More)

Fort Drum – New York Site Considered As Missile Interceptors

 

The nation’s military leaders are considering two sites in upstate New York — an active Army post and a shuttered Air Force base — and one site in Maine as potential missile interceptor sites on the East Coast.

 

 

The Missile Defense Agency is looking at 10 sites on the East Coast, including Fort Drum in northern New York, the old Griffiss Air Force Base near the central New York city of Rome and the former Loring Air Force Base in northern Maine. The Defense Department has been directed to create an East Coast interceptor site in response to a perceived threat from Iran, which is believed to be developing nuclear weapons. (Read more)

Kalashnikov gun maker lands $400 mln missile contract

 

Izhmash is to deliver Vikhr-1 long-range, supersonic antiarmor missiles by the end of 2015, company CEO Konstantin Busygin said.

 

 

The Vikhr-1 contract will enable Izhmash to tackle almost all of its financial problems, he said in late May, adding its current debt stands at 3 billion rubles. Vikhr is a laser-guided antitank missile, used by Russia’s Ka-50 and Ka-52 attack helicopters and Su-25 ground-attack aircraft. (Read more)

Russian Defense Radar, Missiles Worry U.S. Officials

Russia’s military has completed work on a new missile defense radar in southern Russia that has some U.S. military officials worried Moscow is building up offensive and defensive strategic forces in destabilizing combination. The large radar station near Armavir, located near the Black Sea and designed to detect missiles launched from Europe and Iran, is nearly complete, said U.S. officials. The radar deployment comes as Russia is seeking legal restrictions on U.S. and NATO missile defenses in Europe that are designed to protect the continent and the United States from long-range Iranian missiles. A U.S. military official said the Armavir radar station, along with a major buildup of missile defenses and new short- and medium-range missiles, poses a strategic threat to the United States and NATO allies. “The Russians are upset with U.S. missile defenses in Europe and here they are building a network of missile tracking facilities,” the official said. (Read more)

KBR to Build European Missile Facility

KBR Inc. recently won a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, to support the first land-based ballistic missile defense system of the continent at the Deveselu Air Base of Romania. Spanning a 269-acre plot, the Deveselu Air Base was jointly selected by the United States and Romania for the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System. The Aegis Defense system will be the first land-based alternative of the Navy’s shipboard Aegis Air and Ballistic Missile Defense System. (Read more)

Syria: Missile Stockpile Half Depleted

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has run through nearly half his stockpile of advanced Iranian- and Russian-made missiles during his two-year long battle against rebel forces, according to Israel’s leading missile analyst Uzi Rubin. (Read more)

Budget constraints make missile defense decissions challenging

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) indicated that given the budget challenges facing Congress, difficult decisions must be made regarding the resources required to continue missile defense development for the United States. “Our challenge is to make sure we’re doing what we need to do to protect ourselves against missile attacks and to take advantage of emerging technologies that can be utilized as soon as reasonably possible given the constraints to the budget,” Cochran said. Cochran sought information from MDA director, Vice Admiral James Syring on the whether the budget request is sufficient to continue development and deployment of missile defense programs, including enhanced radar capabilities and the potential for a sea-based option to defend the eastern United States. The subcommittee also examined the administration’s decision to increase the number of operational ground based interceptors from 30 to 44 to enhance the nation’s national missile defense posture. The Department of Defense in April announced a new missile defense strategy in light of continued efforts by North Korea to test its nuclear capabilities and long-range launch vehicles. The MDA mission also takes into account the ability of Iran to launch satellites into space, which indicates it has the capability to develop a long range ballistic missile.

Iran's Army Armed With New Generation Of Ballistic Missile

Iran has produced new generation of “Naziat” ballistic missiles. The new missiles are capable of hitting targets as far as 150 km and can be launched from mobile platforms. (Read more)

Israel despliega el Iron Dome‎ en Eilat

 

En las ultimas horas se ha hecho pública la noticia del despliegue de una batería Iron Dome en las inmediaciones de Eilat, como respuesta ante los ataques llevados a cabo contra esa ciudad en los ultimos meses.

 

 

Como recordarán, a comienzos de este mes un grupo yihadista egipcio publicó un manifiesto en el que reivindicaba un reciente ataque con misiles a la ciudad, durante el cual fueron alcanzados depósitos de combustible y ciertas areas residenciales.

 

 

Anteriormente ya se habían registrado otros ataques similares en Abril de 2013 y en Noviembre de 2012, sin que afortunadamente hubiera que lamentar daños personales. En cualquier caso y como medida preventiva la batería antimisiles está ya completamente instalada y protege a toda la población.

 

 

¿Qué es el Iron Dome?

Iron Dome es un sistema móvil de defensa aérea desarrollado por la empresa Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Basicamente se trata de un sistema de misiles diseñado para interceptar y destruir cohetes de corto alcance y proyectiles artilleros lanzados desde una distancia de 4 a 70 kilómetros destinados al bombardeo de población civil.

 

 

¿Quien está usando este sistema?

Este sistema está siendo utilizado por el Estado de Israel, quien prevé a medio plazo aumentar el alcance efectivo de los misiles de 70 a 250 kilómetros y aumentar su versatilidad hasta el punto de poder interceptar misiles provenientes de múltiples direcciones. El sistema fue creado como respuesta defensiva a la amenaza sobre la población israelí de la caída de cohetes procedentes de las fronteras norte y sur.

 

 

¿Desde cuando está siendo utilizado?

El Iron Dome fue declarado operativo y desplegado el 27 de marzo de 2011 cerca de Beersheba. El 7 de abril el sistema interceptó con éxito un primer misil Grad lanzado desde la franja de Gaza, y tres días más tarde se hizo público el éxito del sistema tras derribar el 90% de los misiles lanzados hacia Israel. En noviembre ya habían sido interceptados más de 400 cohetes.

 

 

¿Puede interceptar aeronaves?

El Iron Dome también es capaz de interceptar aeronaves a una altitud máxima de 10.000 metros, por lo cual está considerado uno de los mejores escudos de misiles operativos.

Estados Unidos: La Agencia Antimisiles continuará su hoja de ruta

 

En plena resaca tras el fracaso de las recientes pruebas del sistema antimisiles, el Director de la Agencia de Defensa Antimisiles de los Estados Unidos (U.S. Missile Defense Agency) reafirmó el pasado miercoles ante el Congreso de los Estados Unidos que seguirá llevando adelante la hoja de ruta marcada.

 

James Syring dijo a los miembros de la subcomisión de defensa que aunque durante las pruebas llevadas a cabo el pasado 5 de Julio el misil fracasó a la hora de interceptar el objetivo, se consiguieron llevar a cabo otros propósitos adicionales. Desde luego la causa del fallo sigue siendo objeto de examen, si bien ello no merma en modo alguno su compromiso con el programa ya que se trata del primer fracaso en cuatro pruebas. Según Syring, se barajan nuevas fechas de futuras pruebas entre las cuales no se descarta repetir las recientemente fallidas. A tal efecto ha pedido presupuesto para llevar a cabo dos tests de interceptación durante el año fiscal 2014 y al menos un test anual de interceptación en años posteriores.

 

A pesar de los fallos observados, Syring confía en la fiabilidad del sistema para defender a los Estados Unidos frente a un ataque mediante misiles balísticos intercontinentales. A este respecto, el Secretario de Defensa Chuck Hagel ordenó el pasado mes de Marzo un incremento en la flota operativa de interceptores terrestres, que debería llegar a la cifra de 44 para 2017 (actualmente es de 30). A tal efecto, la Agencia de Defensa Antimisiles está evaluando ya localizaciones en el territorio continental estadounidense para el despliegue de los futuros interceptores, y está evaluando igualmente la posibilidad de instalar un segundo radar móvil anti misiles balísticos AN/TPY-2 en Japón. En otro orden de cosas, James Syring afirmó que la Agencia continuará financiando la Fase 1 de la Estrategia Europea Antimisiles, en la cual ocupa un lugar preferente completar el despliegue del Aegis Ashore -el componente terrestre del Systema Antimisiles Aegis- en Rumania para 2015 y en Polonia para 2018.

Iran's nuclear ambition creating arms race in Middle East?

Watch more:

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2548895993001/irans-nuclear-ambition-creating-arms-race-in-middle-east/

Arabia Saudí apunta sus misiles hacia Iran e Israel

 

 

Arabia Saudí parece haber construído plataformas de apoyo para lanzaderas de misiles balísticos que apuntarían a Iran e Israel, según se desprende de un análisis de ciertas fotos captadas por satélite sobre la base de Al Watah, publicado en las últimas horas. Los analistas del IHS han identificado sendas plataformas de cemento muy similares a las empleadas para la ubicación de lanzaderas móviles de misiles Dong Feng, que podrían estar dirigidas a Tel Aviv y Teheran, respectivamente, a juzgar por la observación de ciertas marcas en el suelo. "Una parece estar alineada en torno a 301 grados y sugiere un blanco potencialmente israelí, mientras que la otra está orientada a 10 grados, ostensiblemente situada para hacer blanco en Iran. Desde luego no podemos estar seguros de que los misiles están apuntando especificamente a Tel Aviv y Teheran, pero si tuvieran que ser lanzados, lo más razonable es pensar que estén dirigidos hacia las capitales."

 

 

Las imagenes publicadas están tomadas por satélite sobre la base de Al Watah, situada a 200 kilometros de la capital. (Para quienes quieran verlo por Google Maps, basta introducir en el campo de búsqueda estas coordenadas: 24.211909,44.701765) En cuanto a los misiles y sus correspondientes ojivas, los expertos creen que podrían almacenarse bajo tierra en el interior de una masa rocosa próxima.

 

En palabras de la analista senior del IHS Allison Puccioni, "La base incluye instalaciones de mando y control así como entradas a bunkers subterraneos que probablemente estén sirviendo para  ocultar misiles y lanzaderas. Cuánto sean de profundos es algo que no podemos precisar, pero podemos afirmar que sus entradas son lo suficientemente anchas y altas como para permitir la entrada de una lanzadera móvil." Como se dijo anteriormente, las plataformas de cemento se parecen a las utilizadas para ubicar lanzaderas móviles de misiles Dong Feng, los cuales no están guiados por control remoto y por tanto tienen que ser apuntados en la dirección de su objetivo.

 

De acuerdo con los expertos, no es descartable que los misiles y sus lanzaderas estén preparados desde hace tiempo al objeto de ser utilizados en cualquier momento. Para Michael Rubin, analista del American Enterprise Institute, "El descubrimiento es una señal de que Arabia Saudí se ha preparado ante la posibilidad de que Iran se convierta en una potencia nuclear, y de que la tregua que desde hace décadas mantiene con Israel es tan sólo eso, y no un tratado de paz. Desde luego, el mayor temor es Iran y los saudíes han mostrado que van en serio." Rubin hace hiscapie en que ni la actual alianza existente con los Estados Unidos ni la tregua con Israel deberían ser tomados como garantía de paz ya que la monarquía saudí es inestable en los momentos actuales: La sucesión al trono se produce entre hermanos, y muchos de ellos son ya octogenarios. "Cada rey podría durar un año o incluso menos. Y entre los 3.000 principes aspirantes al trono los hay que son moderados pro occidentales y otro que detestan a los Estados Unidos. Cualquiera que analice la situación debe reconocer que lo que hoy parece seguro y estable puede convertirse en una seria amenaza." Para Robert Munks, analista del IHS, "Arabia Saudi podría haber comenzado a ampliar su stock de misiles con nuevos IRBM más modernos y precisos". En cualquier caso, los analistas del IHS concluyen que a diferencia de las conocidas bases de Al Sulayyil y Al Jufayr, la base de Al Watah "potencialmente sirve como complejo de almacenamiento y entrenamiento con capacidad para llevar a cabo lanzamientos de misiles llegado el caso"

 

Siria: Incertidumbre sobre la autoría del ataque a un arsenal de misiles Yakhont

 

Opositores al régimen del presidente sirio han señalado que no fueron sus tropas sino fuerzas extranjeras las que han destruído en fechas recientes un arsenal de misiles rusos antibuque Yakhont almacenados en la base militar de Safira, cerca de la ciudad portuaria de Latakia.

 

 

Sobre la transcendencia del ataque merece la pena recordar que los misiles supersónicos Yakhont tienen un alcance de 300 kilómetros, una ojiva explosiva de 250 kilogramos, y se desplazan con una velocidad superior al doble de la velocidad del sonido. (340 m/s x 2 = 680 m/s)

 

 

Los insurgentes han puntualizado que la ferocidad del ataque no se corresponde con el poder de fuego y la capacidad de las fuerzas insurgentes, sino mas bien con la potencia de fuego del ejército de Israel. Esta hipótesis ha sido desmentida sin embargo por el ministro de Defensa de Israel, Moshé Yaalón, quien se ha defendido de las acusaciones de los rebeldes sirios en los siguientes términos: "Hace mucho tiempo que venimos diciendo que no nos estamos implicando en la sangrienta guerra civil en Siria. Hemos trazado nuestras líneas rojas y nos mantenemos en ellas".

 

 

Técnicamente en guerra con Siria, Israel ha pasado décadas en un estancamiento estable con Damasco bajo el gobierno de la familia Assad y ha sido reticente a intervenir abiertamente en el conflicto que sacude a Siria.

Anti-Ship missiles: A brief look

 

Despite the many lightweight (under a ton) anti-ship missiles on the market, the Norwegian NSM still gets sales because it is effective, reliable, and affordable. It is also offered for use on ships, aircraft, and on trucks (as part of a mobile coastal defense system). The 409 kg (900 pound) NSM anti-ship missile has a 125 kg (275 pound) warhead and a range of 185 kilometers. NSM uses GPS and inertial guidance systems, as well as a heat imaging system (and a database of likely targets) for picking out and hitting the intended ship. Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg allows buyers to easily install their own radar and control systems. There is lots of competition, the main ones being the U.S. Harpoon and similar missiles from Russia and China.

The Russian Kh-35 anti-ship missile is similar to the American Harpoon but lighter (610 kg/1,340 pounds, compared to 728 kg/1,600) and has less range (130 kilometers compared to 224 for the latest version of Harpoon). The Kh-35 (also known as the SS-N-25 or Switchblade) can be fired from helicopters, aircraft, ships, or shore batteries.

China sells a lot of C-801 and C-802 anti-ship missiles. The C-801 is 5.81 meters (18 feet) long, 360mm in diameter, has a max range of 42 kilometers, and weighs 636 kg (1,400 pounds) each. The C-801 is similar to the French Exocet and is believed to have been based on that missile. The C802A is a 6.8m (21 foot) long, 360mm diameter, 682kg (1,500 pound) missile, with a 165kg (360 pound) warhead. The C802 has a max range of 120 kilometers and moves along at about 250 meters a second.

The French Exocet missile is the same size and performance but costs twice as much (over a million dollars each, but the manufacturer is known to be flexible on pricing). The new Exocet MM Block 3 has twice the range (180 kilometers) because of their turbojet engine. This is a 670 kg (1,500 pound) missile that has been around for over three decades, has been proven in combat, and is known to be reliable. The C802 is known to be less capable than the Exocet but it looks similar.

Russia pioneered the use of larger (up to three ton) supersonic “carrier killer” anti-ship missiles. The most common example is the Yakhont, which is an 8.9 meter (27.6 foot) long, three ton missile with a 300 kg (660 pound) warhead. Russia has been building missiles like this since the 1970s, but they are only popular with the few nations that have a need to destroy American aircraft carriers.