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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| US sends bunkerbusting bombs to Israel to match Syrian missiles to Hezb'allah | |
| 2010-05-10 | |
That same day, US defense sources, normally chary of releasing information about US arms supplies to Israel, reported that Washington had released substantial quantities of smart bombs to different types to Israel, most of them suitable for striking Hizballah fortifications in Lebanon and Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip. They fall into three categories: 1. The 2,268 kilo (5,000 pound), laser-guided Bomb Unit GBU-28 (nicknamed "Deep Throat") Hard Target Penetrator which can burrow 31 meters into earth or 6.2 meters into reinforced concrete. They can penetrate the stronger Hizballah installations or be used on Iranian nuclear weapons or missile installations, if so decided. 2. The Small Diameter 113 kilo GBU for IAF F-15I fighter-bombers, to be followed by the supplies for F-16I planes, which can be used against simpler installations, like the arms-smuggling tunnels dug by Hamas between Egypt and the Gaza Strip and Hizballah's field fortifications. They are small enough for fighter-bombers to carry in larger numbers, but they have a 5-8 meter margin of error with no more than a 50:50 chance of hitting the target. 3. However, the Laser-Guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions (LJDAM), also on the list of arms supplies to the Israeli Air Force, directs smart bombs more accurately. Developed jointly by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and Israel's Elbit Systems, LJDAM improves the accuracy of bombs fired from a maximum distance of 28 kilometers in most weathers. debkafile's Washington sources report that the Obama administration decided to release this data to dispel rumors of a US arms embargo against Israel, especially of items that would enable Israel to attack Iran's nuclear installations. The GBU-28 "Deep Throat" has that capability and is one of those items. | |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #13 "president creating another Holocaust by preventing Israel from defending itself" With Bambi and his minions, I've no doubt that's a feature, not a bug, tw. The "bug" part is his big donors might withhold their loot.. >:-( |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-05-10 15:18 |
| #12 debkafile's Washington sources report that the Obama administration decided to release this data to dispel rumors of a US arms embargo against Israel, especially of items that would enable Israel to attack Iran's nuclear installations. Yet another politically motivated move. They have to. It was reported around the Israeli press that Obama's administration had blocked all arms transfers and sales to Israel since he took office... although it was also reported that this or that sale was going to go through. I imagine the same big donors that are screaming about the treatment of Bibi Netanyahu are also screaming about the president creating another Holocaust by preventing Israel from defending itself. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-05-10 15:13 |
| #11 Interesting trivia about the GBU-28, is that it is literally just an 8 in artillery tube from a deactivated M110 howitzer, packed full of explosives, with GPS guidance. However, more to the point, didn't W. Bush give the Israelis a whole bunch of MOABs years ago, when Iran was first an issue? I remember some back and forth, about Israel making their own version, something like that. I think Obama canceled the transfer of some of them, but again, I'm vague on the particulars. The bottom line is that it is less the bomb, than the delivery system that matters. Israel has something like 11 C-130 aircraft, and 4 Boeing 707s that might be capable of dropping a bomb, if SAMs were not an issue in their flight path. (The rest of these type aircraft have been converted to tankers for in flight refueling.) |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-05-10 14:36 |
| #10 F-15I |
| Posted by: ed 2010-05-10 11:21 |
| #9 What kind of plane does Israel have that will carry these larger bombs? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2010-05-10 10:53 |
| #8 They are small enough for fighter-bombers to carry in larger numbers, but they have a 5-8 meter margin of error with no more than a 50:50 chance of hitting the target. So in other words, they'll either blow you up or they won't............ |
| Posted by: Everyday a Wildcat(KSU)! 2010-05-10 08:42 |
| #7 DAMASECTOMIE!!!!!!!!! |
| Posted by: Spise Henbane4223 2010-05-10 08:37 |
| #6 Damascus and Syrian installations should be among the first wave hit - take out their ability to resupply Hezbollah They'll hit Damascus to eliminate the Assad dynasty. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-05-10 08:18 |
| #5 debkafile's Washington sources report that the Obama administration decided to release this data to dispel rumors of a US arms embargo against Israel, especially of items that would enable Israel to attack Iran's nuclear installations. Yet another politically motivated move. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-05-10 08:05 |
| #4 Damascus and Syrian installations should be among the first wave hit - take out their ability to resupply Hezbollah |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-05-10 08:02 |
| #3 Well, if Israel feels threatened I have no doubt they will use them. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-05-10 07:59 |
| #2 One can only hope that they actually use them. |
| Posted by: Dave UK 2010-05-10 06:06 |
| #1 This would be a good move. This seems to back up Debka's claim. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-05-10 00:21 |