|
New
Delhi, 25 July 2002
A
closer look at Israeli weapons industry
The
American reaction to the proposed sale of the Arrow, a sophisticated missile defense
system, from
Israel
has brought the
Israeli Weapons Industry into focus of the world media. American
officials have been quoted as saying, “the sale of the Arrow Weapon System could exacerbate friction
between
India
and
Pakistan
and provide other nations (
China
–
N
Korea
)
with a justification to peddle missile technology.”
The
Arrow Weapon System allows
Israel
to defend against short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.
Because the programme was developed in partnership with the
United
States
, their approval is required for
sales to other countries.
Israel
has said it would like to sell it to
India
and
Turkey
.
An
Arrow sale may violate the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR),
an agreement among more than 30 countries (
India
and
Israel
are not signatories to it) that seeks to limit the spread of missile
technology. Backers of the proposed Israeli sale, including
supporters in the Pentagon, cite
US
allegiance to
Israel
and President Bush's pledge to enlist US allies in missile defense
development. These proponents argue that defense cooperation with
India
could improve US–India ties. They say it could also reward the
Indian government for its retreat from confrontation with
Pakistan
over the disputed
territory
of
Kashmir
.
There
have been instances in the past when
Israel
has sold/transferred weaponry to countries (eg
China
)
not favoured by US but each case had its background and cogent
reasons for getting a go-by. Before we examine those cases, it will
be in order to take a look at the Israeli weapons industry, its
fast-track growth, strengths and constraints.
With
its tourist industry all but shuttered by a 21-month Palestinian
uprising and high-tech in a slump, the Jewish state at present has
come to depend deeply on the foreign currency earnings of its
weapons industry, now the world's 10th largest. At various arms
trade fairs around the world, Israel shows the world's military
shoppers fruits of its high-tech arms industry, including its
Merkava tank, unmanned spy planes and the sophisticated missile
defense system.
An
Israeli Searcher UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicle) system was among the
high-tech arms on display for military shoppers at the recent
Eurosatory 2002 exhibition in
Paris
.
Deftly
marketed missiles, radar and other products from Israeli companies
now compete with those of top-tier arms producers including the
United
States
, reaping about $2 billion of a $27
billion yearly worldwide market. The less known fact is that tens of
billions of US dollars and transfers of American military technology
have helped create and nurture
Israel
's
industry, in effect subsidizing it.
No
other country receives as much US aid or freedom to plough it into
its own export industries as
Israel
.
The benefits that US gets from its 50-year partnership with
Israel
are –– political leverage, a proving ground for new weapons and
intelligence cooperation. This relationship is somewhat similar to
what existed between
India
and the erstwhile
Soviet Union
.
Transfers of
US
technology and funds could also be termed as good for both
countries’ economies, akin to post-World War II assistance for
Europe
and
Japan
(Marshal Plan). Luring Jewish emigres from the former Soviet weapons
industry has also helped
Israel
.
Extent
of US Aid
Since 1976,
Israel
has received more
US
assistance than any other country, with the largest aid flows
beginning after
Israel
and
Egypt
made peace in 1979.
Washington
currently gives
Israel
about $3 billion per year, two-thirds of it in military grants. As
US civilian aid is phased out at
Israel
's
request, military grants are expected to reach $2.4 billion by 2007.
Alone among
US
aid recipients,
Israel
is allowed to use about a quarter of its military aid to develop its
own arms production rather than for flat-out purchases of US arms.
Other aid recipients wishing the same must seek State Department
approval, a difficult process well known to
India
. Though
Israel
is the wealthiest country to receive
US
aid ––
with a per capita income higher than
Greece
or
Spain
––
the largesse triggers little opposition in Congress or among the
US
electorate thanks to the powerful Jew lobby. Elsewhere, it can
provoke deep resentment. To many of the world's Muslims, it places
the
US
on the Israeli side of its conflicts with Arabs as it did to
India
vis-à-vis
Pakistan
till 1998.
Growing
Competition
A review of arms sales announcements shows that US and
Israeli companies now compete directly in missiles, aircraft
electronics, precision bomb guidance systems and unmanned aerial
vehicles.
-
In March 2002, US-based Raytheon Corp won a hard-fought
battle with
Israel
's
Elisra Electronic Systems, edging them out of a $200-million
contract to outfit Greek Air Force F-16s with radar jamming
equipment.
-
Last year, the French government selected an airborne
drone built by Israel Aircraft Industries over the Predator,
made by General Atomics of
San
Diego
.
-
A group of Israeli firms, including Israel Aircraft
Industries and Elbit Systems, won a $25-million contract in 1998
to upgrade
Turkey
's
fleet of 28 F-5 fighter jets, beating out Northrop Grumman, the
planes' original
US
manufacturer.
-
Last summer,
Israel
's
Rafael won a bid competition to sell anti-tank missiles worth at
least $288 million to the
Netherlands
and
Finland
.
Raytheon lost the bid. Rafael and Raytheon are competing for
sales in
Britain
,
Poland
and elsewhere also.
-
Rafael also sells a new air-to-air missile called the
Derby
,
which competes directly with similar missiles sold by Raytheon.
The bomb-guidance kit it developed, called Spice, will compete
with Boeing's Joint Direct Attack Munition.
There is no doubt
Israel
is afforded special latitude to develop and export equipment made
with US help. The American and Israeli companies are not just
competitors. Israeli firms often team up with
US
counterparts, trading technology for lobbying access to the
US
military. The fact remains that the Israelis would not be where
they are today if they did not have the Americans behind them.
Exercising US Control
Yet
along with some freedom to compete, the
US
administration still has considerable control over the sale/transfer
of Israeli made armament. There have been times when Israeli weapons
moved to countries off-limits to American companies such as
China
.
Last year,
a US
surveillance plane flying along
China
's
coast was threatened by Chinese fighter jets armed with Israeli
missiles. Had the Chinese fighter pilot been given the order to
fire, they could have brought down the
US
plane with Israeli Python III missiles.
US
technology given to the Israelis in the form of the Sidewinder
missile was used in the development of the Python. Another instance
is
China
’s
new J-10 jet fighter that may be unveiled as early as this year.
Experts say it is modeled on
Israel
's
Lavi. The Lavi, now discontinued, was based on the US F-16 and built
with $1.3 billion in aid from
Washington
.
However,
in
2000,
Israel
bowed to US pressure and cancelled the sale to
China
of its AWACS-style airborne early warning radar planes.
India
has had similar experiences and has been told by Israeli authorities
that they don't sell systems that upset the Pentagon. And the
latter’s stand is, “Generally speaking, we're not in favor of
such capable weapons systems being proliferated to a variety of
nations around the world."
We
in
India
have to face the bitter reality that howsoever close relations we
may develop with
Israel
,
militarily critical hardware and technologies cannot flow from them
without
US
consent.
Israel
is too closely linked to US and owes so greatly to that country for
its existence and survival for over five decades, that it is but a
puppet with invisible strings. Whether US will give a go-ahead to
the 'Arrow' system sale to India or not, depends on what its
Secretary of State Colin Powell has to tell the Indian government
during his upcoming trip to
New Delhi
.
IDC
perceive there will be an American ‘tat’ for an Indian ‘tit’
!
Back
to Top
Disclaimer
Copyright
|