US to deploy X-Band radar for missile defense in Israel

Date: 17 / 08 / 2008 Time: 15:54
Bethlehem – Ma'an/Agencies –

The United States is deploying a high-powered early-warning radar system in the Negev desert in Israel, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

An American military spokesperson was quoted as saying that the radar, known as –Band, will be linked into the American satellite-based missile alert system, and could be used to detect a long-speculated missile strike by Iran.

American military personnel will operate the system beginning in early 2009. It will be the first permanent US military deployment in Israel. American army personnel were temporarily stationed in Israel during the 1991 Gulf War with Iraq.

The American-Israeli agreement was reported in the periodical Defense News, and was confirmed by Haaretz.

The agreement had previously been discussed in meetings with Israeli Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and his American counterpart, Admiral Mike Mullen, and by the civilian defense leadership of the two countries.

The US currently has X-Band radar deployed in Japan, and has plans to station another system in the Czech Republic.

U.S., Israel agree on missile radar defense system

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-17 21:12:07

JERUSALEM, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) --

The United States and Israel have agreed on the deployment of high-powered, early-warning missile radars in the Negev desert in southern Israel, local daily Ha'aretz reported Sunday on its website.

The radars, known as X-Band, will be linked to a U.S. satellite-based alert network, Ha'aretz said, adding the new system could double or even triple the missiles' range of identification, which would be particularly useful if Iran launches an attack on Israel.

Under the terms of the newly-reached agreement, U.S. military staff will be permanently based in Israel for the first time.

According to periodical Defense news, the radar will be operated by staff from its European Command of the United States, starting in early 2009.

The system's deployment may even be moved up to this autumn, in order to integrate it with the Arrow missile defense system.

The Israeli Defense Force's current early-warning system, known as Green Pine and a component of the Arrow network, has a range of 800-900 kilometers. When combined with the American satellite system, its range expands to 2000 kilometers.

Editor: Bi Mingxin

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