Posted on 08/12/2016 5:08:11 AM PDT by SJackson
American defense contractor Raytheon and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, who worked together developing Israel’s Iron Dome—the highly-acclaimed mobile air defense system that has become critical to Israel’s national security—are now collaborating on an American prototype.
The U.S. version of the missile system would help protect U.S. forces in advanced combat positions around the world from a variety of threats including cruise missiles, rockets and UAV’s.
A 2015 trademark filing by Raytheon lists the “SkyHunter," described as a ground-based missile interceptor system with a guided missile that has electro-optic sensors and adjustable steering fins to track and destroy incoming enemy rockets, missiles, artillery and mortars.
Raytheon is the world’s largest manufacturer of guided missiles and works with Israel’s State-owned Rafael providing key components for Israel’s highly-versatile electro-optic Tamir interceptor missile.
In April, the U.S. successfully tested a modified Tamir missile from a Multi-Missile Launcher (MML) at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico successfully intercepting a target drone.
The missile system is one of several under consideration by the U.S. Army, though the production costs and successful track record would make a Raytheon/Rafael produced system an ideal proposition for the U.S., Yosi Druker, vice president and head of the air superiority systems sector at Rafael told Sightline’s Defense News.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Israel took out best Patriot missile and rebuilt it so it worked.
The other possibility is that it will be selected, but then they'll start laying additional requirements on it. This will result in throwing out most of the already working hardware and software. There'll be a new missile with more range and improved performance against XYZ. The radar will be upgraded for more range, or better performance in rain, or some such. The battle management software will be re-written to integrate into US systems and meet someone's fanciful idea of the perfect engagement controller - even though it no longer resembles any other systems and requires retraining of all the operators. The net result will be a years long development program costing hundreds of millions instead of basically just another production run and new paint job.
Wow, guess I'm just feeling really cynical today, and it's Friday. You'd think it was a Monday or something.
Meanwhile, the Russians, having already deployed into combat zones the S-400 systems, are busy working on the S-500 system ... both of which the Iron Dome and Patriot are pale shadows and growing fainter ...
Iron Dome is Combat Tested, Combat Proven.
No, the iron dome is a much smaller missile, cheaper and faster with a shorter range.
Israel is far ahead of the US in missile design because Clinton shut down US R&D during his reign to help Russia.
The iron dome uses the vastly superior targeting system from the Popeye series, using video cameras and video processors vs radar or heat.
Smart people in our government channeled funding into joint Israeli research to save American lives from the Russian mole Bill Clinton.
The Patriot missile system was deployed in Israel when the Iraq war began. Israel saw the potential but the Patriot system was not up to the needs so they built their own.
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