Israeli Phalcon sale to India may be frozen
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_222859,0005.htm
Israeli Phalcon sale to India may be frozen under US pressure
Yehonathan Tommer (Indo-Asian News Service)
Jerusalem, March 28
A $1 billion deal for the sale of Israeli Phalcon spy planes to India may be frozen because of American fears that they could increase tensions with Pakistan in the subcontinent, an Israel Army radio report said.
A US official approached the Israeli embassy in Washington with the request to freeze the deal fearing the Phalcon sale would aggravate instability between the two South Asian nuclear rivals, according to the report Thursday by Galei Tzahal, or Israel Army Radio.
Foreign ministry sources in Jerusalem were unable to confirm the report but said American displeasure with the proposed sale was known for some time.
Washington apparently told Israel bluntly that a promised special military grant of $1 billion was linked to the cancellation of the Phalcon deal with India, said a report in the financial daily Globes.
Negotiations between India and Israel Aircraft Industries, manufacturer of the sophisticated airborne warning and control system, have been progressing slowly since the Pentagon first learned almost two years ago that India was keen on acquiring three or four Phalcon systems.
India plans to mount the Phalcon radar and sensors on Russian-made Il-76 aircraft. Israel has supplied a Green Pine radar, which forms part of the Phalcon system, to India to bolster its air defence network.
Commenting on Israel Army Radio, Yuval Steinitz, the Defence and Foreign Relations Chairman in the Knesset or Israeli Parliament, said the "US pressure is not legitimate" if was actually a form of business competition.
"It is not wise to confront Washington, but we have to maintain our interests," he said.
If Israel has to choose between angering Washington and disappointing New Delhi, it is likely to accede to the American request, given its close friendly ties and dependence on Washington, said security experts here.
Sagging under a mammoth budgetary deficit due to its nearly three-year-long military confrontation with the Palestinians and with gloomy prospects for an early economic recovery, Israel is likely to take the US threat seriously.
Moreover, the Phalcon includes American components and under a production agreement, Israel must obtain US approval for sales to third countries.
The US request is reminiscent of the Pentagon's opposition to an earlier Israeli agreement to sell a Phalcon system to China in August 2000.
Due to sharp tensions between China and Taiwan at the time, the US vetoed the Israeli sale, sparking an angry reaction from Beijing.
The US opposition to the deal was based on fears that China's acquisition of the Phalcon would strengthen its strategic capabilities in the event of a military confrontation in the region.
The Pentagon's veto soured Israel's relations with China. Beijing, which had already paid almost a third of the Phalcon deal worth $250 million, froze major Israeli arms contracts. This was followed by months of negotiations on compensation, with at least three high-level
Israeli defence missions being sent to Beijing to placate the offended Chinese.
Only recently, after tensions had long subsided, Israel received US clearance to resume sales to China and frozen Israeli arms contracts have gone through. -
How good is this system? Seems like Israel is having difficulty selling it to anyone.
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I dun think singapore will wanna buy this plane. Malaysian and Indonesian will skip the GW2 and protest at the top of their voice over this matter and guess wat , our old friend there will say " Singapore is once again insensitive and unneighbourly . But dun worri we wont feel threaten and we have the capacity to give a bloody nose and of course coupled with a low blow if neccesary.''
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Fortunately Singapore rarely pays attention to such things becos our unwritten military motto is: "Talk is cheap, guns are not."
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Very much i agree , but we cant really afford to buy something militarily and racially sensitive.Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:Fortunately Singapore rarely pays attention to such things becos our unwritten military motto is: "Talk is cheap, guns are not." -
we should get the U2 ehhehe
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At least we have the spike.
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At least thats not military sensitive.Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:At least we have the spike. -
I tot they made a bit of a hoo ha over that...
same speech...
we should just say "NUTS!" to them and start aquiring Israeli arms... -
actually ....yah my sentiment are......
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Frankly, I'm sick and tired of this Malaysian hipocrisy. Here we are, trying hard not to let this escalate into an arms race, and what do they do in return? They introduce radical new capabilities into the region like MLRS, MBTs, and SU-30s! In the 80's, we tried to be a 'good neighbour' by not getting the US MLRS, and by making do with post WW2 tanks like the Centurion and AMX-13.
And how do they repay us? By acquring the Astros II and PT-91! And here they are making noise about how Singapore is being 'uneighbourly' and whatnot.
I say screw them. We are now at a technological disadvantage because we are overcautious about offending our 'neighbours'. We should scrap this policy of appeasement before it gets to their heads to come and attack us. -
ahah well when they complain we simply keep out stuff overseasOriginally posted by Typhoon:Frankly, I'm sick and tired of this Malaysian hipocrisy. Here we are, trying hard not to let this escalate into an arms race, and what do they do in return? They introduce radical new capabilities into the region like MLRS, MBTs, and SU-30s! In the 80's, we tried to be a 'good neighbour' by not getting the US MLRS, and by making do with post WW2 tanks like the Centurion and AMX-13.
And how do they repay us? By acquring the Astros II and PT-91! And here they are making noise about how Singapore is being 'uneighbourly' and whatnot.
I say screw them. We are now at a technological disadvantage because we are overcautious about offending our 'neighbours'. We should scrap this policy of appeasement before it gets to their heads to come and attack us. -
Actually we dun have to buy all those toy yet. All we need to do is jus to balance out with a little more to our side when every time they buy a new toy , to avoid being critise as starting a race.Originally posted by Typhoon:Frankly, I'm sick and tired of this Malaysian hipocrisy. Here we are, trying hard not to let this escalate into an arms race, and what do they do in return? They introduce radical new capabilities into the region like MLRS, MBTs, and SU-30s! In the 80's, we tried to be a 'good neighbour' by not getting the US MLRS, and by making do with post WW2 tanks like the Centurion and AMX-13.
And how do they repay us? By acquring the Astros II and PT-91! And here they are making noise about how Singapore is being 'uneighbourly' and whatnot.
I say screw them. We are now at a technological disadvantage because we are overcautious about offending our 'neighbours'. We should scrap this policy of appeasement before it gets to their heads to come and attack us.
eg. When we have centurions , they dun have so be it , we are at advantage , we dun need to go further to get any modern MBT. But once they have their PT-91 , being the more affluent party , we will get Apaches , Spikes , MBTs to drown them.
The trick is that , we will alow them to get their toy first. Once they have it , we will rush in to purchase ours , making sure we have the toughest of that class in large quantities. This way , no one will point fingers. Or another thing is that , we will keep quiet . Wait till tension run high , we will dig our pockets and get wat ever we want , making sure again we are at the upper hand.( this is seen between China and Taiwan )
At present our situation is everywhere better that the malaysian counterpart. Their purchase are onli to get in par with us. Once they finish their purchased , its our turn. Dun worry , we are waiting for our turn after they finish their reserve draining shopping.......
Remember the time , we allow malaysia to get their MEKO then we bought more advance frigate. They annouce the MLRS then we annouce the Apache. They annouce their F-18D , we annouce more F-16s. They annouce the R-77 , we annouce Amraam. They annouce their SUs as the MRCA , we are annoucing our 4th generation fighter soon. -
So how good or otherwise is the Phalcon system when compared to other AWACs?
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heard is using AESA radar
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Only export customer for the Phalcon system is Chile with one example mounted on a 707.