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could enhance Beijing's ability to threaten Taiwan. Israeli officials said on Friday that the Il-76 was delivered to Israel Aircraft Industries in early November and the Phalcon system was being installed. They said the effort would take several months. Phalcon stands for Phased-Array L-Band Conformal radar, an advanced airborne early warning system that will provide long-range radar surveillance and coordination of forces during battle. The Phalcon has been presented as a cheaper version of the U.S. AWACS systems. The officials said they were not surprised by Pentagon objection to the AEW sale, saying much of it was fueled by U.S. defense contractors. But they said they did not expect Clinton to play a role in the criticism. The United States, the officials said, knew of the China deal since it was signed in 1997. But they apparently decided to wait until Russia completed its part of the contract and Israel began installation of the system. Israeli officials have tried to impose a blackout on the China deal, called the Ring project. Last year, the then-chairman of IAI, Avigdor Ben-Gal, was reprimanded after he discussed the sale with reporters. Israeli defense sources said that since 1994 Israeli sales of military technology to China have dropped significantly. Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian visited Israel last month and discussed the offer of an IAI upgrade of China's Mig-21 fighters, the backbone of the Chinese air force.
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