HEADLINES:
R/€ Israel boosts its fire power
November 26, 2009 Edition 2
JERUSALEM: With cutting-edge anti-missile systems and two new submarines that can carry nuclear weapons, Israel is preparing a new generation of armaments designed to defend it against distant Iran as well as what it sees as Tehran's proxy armies on its borders.
Having failed to crush Hamas's firepower in its Gaza offensive recently or Hezbollah's in its 2006 assault on Lebanon, Israel is turning to an increasingly sophisticated mix of defensive technology.
A system that can unleash a metallic cloud to shoot down incoming rockets in the skies over Gaza or Lebanon has been tested successfully, according to its maker, and is expected to be deployed next year.
The Iron Dome uses cameras and radar to track incoming rockets and shoot them down within seconds of their launch. The system is said to be so sophisticated it can predict almost instantly where a rocket will land and to change its calculations to account for wind, sun and other conditions in fractions of a second.
Shooting down a missile is a bit like stopping a bullet with a bullet. But Eyal Ron, one of Iron Dome's developers, said his system fires an interceptor that explodes into a cloud of small pieces that make it unnecessary to score a direct hit.
The army has three German-made Dolphin submarines and is buying two more. They can be equipped with nuclear missiles that analysts say could be stationed off the coast of Iran.
Israel says Iran, despite its denials, is trying to acquire atomic weapons. It has not confirmed that its Dolphin fleet has nuclear capabilities, but senior officials acknowledge a strike plan is being devised in case diplomacy fails. - Sapa-AP
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