TEL AVIV — The Israel Air Force has determined emerging threats from
neighboring Arab states that have been building combat air fleets based on
U.S. aircraft.
IAF sources said the service regards Egypt as a leading threat with its
fleet of F-16 multi-role fighters as well as plans to purchase up to 100
advanced Block 52 aircraft by the end of the decade. The sources also cited
Jordan, which plans to upgrade its F-16 fleet to enable the deployment of
advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
"As the weapons in the Middle East become more advanced in the area of
aviation, it marks a challenge for us to be able to cope with them," Brig.
Gen. Ido Nehushtan, air force chief of staff, said. "We are surrounded by
very modern air forces that continue to strengthen. We face challenges of an
entirely different kind and therefore we require an air force that could
deter and defeat."
In early June, Israel Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Eliezer Shkedy met
senior U.S. defense and military officials and urged them to halt the export
of advanced weapons to Arab enemies of Israel. Shkedy was said to have
expressed concern over the sale of the F-16 to the United Arab Emirates and
plans to sell the Block 50 to Egypt.
"We are worried about the damage caused to Israel's qualitative military
edge as a result of the newest arms sales to the Arabs," Shkedy said.
"Advanced weapons systems allow a mediocre pilot with a mediocre platform to
become a very effective threat."
The air force commander also warned of the deployment of F-15s in
northwestern Saudi Arabia. He said the basing of advanced F-15s only minutes
from the Israeli border represents a threat to the Jewish state.
The air force sources said the IAF has been uneasy over the drive by
Egypt and Jordan to modernize their air forces with U.S. platforms. They
said the air force has been seeking to take basic U.S. aircraft platforms,
such as the F-16 and the Apache AH-64, and enhance them with
Israel-origin subsystems.
In 2004, Israel began receiving the first of 102 F-16I Block 50
aircraft. The F-16I contains Israeli-origin electronic warfare,
communications, avionics and missiles not available to Arab allies of the
United States.
The air force also plans to receive the AH-64D Apache Longbow
helicopters as well as the Gulfstream G-5 EW aircraft. Both platforms also
contain Israeli subsystems.
"We can now say that in every type of platform we have the best and most
modern capabilities," Nehushtan said in an interview with April 2005 edition
of the Israel Air Force Journal.
Nehushtan said the air force was focusing on manpower and platform
quality. He cited a priority for improved intelligence, command and control,
deep-strike and urban warfare capabilities and self-protection.
"The building of a force is composed of several elements," Nehushtan
said. "If the air force is the body, the platforms are the spine around
which the entire service is built. The intelligence capability is the eyes
and ears of the service and is no less important. The munitions is the
muscles of the service and in this field there are impressive and unique
achievements."
The sources said the most important part of the air force development
that surpasses that of neighboring countries is the developing of C4I
capability. They said this allows every asset in the air force — from
unmanned aerial vehicle to combat aircraft — to communicate with each other
as well as a C2 center.
"The last element and the most impressive and interesting development in
the force build-up is the Central Nerve System, the capability to link all
of the elements of the air force in one network which knows how to relay
information and enhance the process of decision-making and the execution of
operational capability," Nehushtan said.
