RUSSIAN MISSILES FOR SYRIA (AND HEZBOLLAH?)
The Russian government has reiterated its intention to go through with a controversial missile sale to Syria. In its March 24th edition, the Jerusalem Post reports that - despite the current pro-democracy protests buffeting the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and despite international concerns that the sophisticated weaponry could end up in the hands of Syrian proxies such as Hezbollah - the Kremlin considers the sale of advanced Yakhont anti-ship missiles to Damascus to be a "done deal." The shipment, initially agreed to in 2007, is still pending. Notably, military sources cited by Defense News (February 26) say Russia has already shipped two Bastion coastal defense systems to Syria - each of which can hold up to 36 Yakhont missiles. Israel, for its part, fears that these weapons will find their way into the hands of Hezbollah militants in neighboring Lebanon, where they could end up being used against the Jewish state.
IRON DOME COMES ONLINE
Israel's premier defense against artillery rockets and short-range missiles is in the process of being rolled out by the country's military. The Israeli Defense Forces announced on March 25th that "Iron Dome," the long-awaited Israeli answer to short-range projectiles of the kind favored by terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, is now operational and being deployed accross the south of the country. “'Iron Dome' will provide part of the answer to the threat of rocket fire at Israel’s southern communities, not discounting shelters and offensive measures," a formal statement from the IDF spokesman has said. The deployment, an accelleration of the timeline originally envisioned for the system, is being done "in light of recent events in southern Israel and according to security assessments."
S-300 REINFORCES RUSSIAN CLAIMS TO KURILS
The Kremlin is upping the ante in its longstanding territorial dispute with Japan over the Kuril islands, Reuters (February 15) reports. Moscow and Tokyo both lay claims to the island chain, but since the end of World War II Russia has occupied the contested territory. Moscow already houses an artillery division on one of the islands, but Russian president Dmitry Medvedev appears to be considering bolstering the existing Russian force there with an additional brigade of air defense troops, possibly including the S-400 air defense system. President Medvedev has said he would supply the islands with “sufficient weaponry to ensure their security as a part of Russia’s sovereign territory.”
U.S. MISSILE SHIELD SETS SAIL
The Obama administration's missile defense plans have entered a new phased with the deployment of a high-tech warship capable of defending allies in Europe against ballistic missile attack. In its March 7th edition, the Columbus Republic reports on the deployment of the USS Monterey, which is capable of "detecting and shooting down ballistic missiles headed for the Mediterranean Sea," as part of the White House's four-stage plan, unveiled in September 2009, to protect American allies and deployed forces from ballistic missile threats from the Middle East.
ISRAELI DEFENSES AGAINST THE DPRK
In its efforts to defend against North Korean agression, Seoul is looking west - to Israel. According to the Yonhap News Agency (February 14), South Korea plans to deploy the Israeli-made, satellite-guided “Spike” missile to Yeonpyeong Island in mid-2012. The missile deployment is part of South Korea’s efforts to bolster troops and weaponry on the island in the wake of North Korea's unprovoked shelling last November - a brazen attack that killed four South Koreans, including two civilians.
Want these sent to your inbox?
Subscribe