MPs question 'nuclear upgrade' of Israel's Jaguar bombers

The Guardian ^ | 4/24/02 | Richard Norton-Taylor

[LarryLied]

MPs are demanding an explanation after Israel upgraded British Jaguar bombers made by India under licence and potentially capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Tony Baldry, chairman of the Commons cross-party international development committee, has asked Patricia Hewitt, the trade and industry secretary, whether the government approved of the deal or had no control over it.

Mr Baldry refers in a letter to Ms Hewitt to an article in Jane's Defence Weekly reporting growing military cooperation between India and Israel and says he understands Israel was upgrading the aircraft to allow them to carry nuclear weapons. He adds: "I find this deeply disconcerting."

The Jane's article said defence analysts were speculating that Israel may have violated US embargoes by exporting to India sensitive and dual-use nuclear technologies.

Mr Baldry asks why the government is not introducing measures in the export control bill to tightly control arms built under licence - and why the MoD is encouraging arms exports to India while maintaining an embargo on Pakistan.

The issue demonstrates, he says, the need to strengthen the bill to cover licensing deals to prevent companies having a "free rein to do unethical deals so long as the smoke-filled room is not on British soil".

[xm177e2]

Israel upgrades everything...

[PsyOp]

growing military cooperation between India and Israel

Now there's an alliance that must have muslims quaking in their sandals.

[LarryM]

This article is so idiotic. They aren't Israel's planes; they are India's planes upgraded by Israel.

[greydog]

A 10k nuke weighs about 140# (plutonium implosion device).

Who's string is these guys trying to pull?

[dts32041]

Don't forget Israel has been helping the chinese upgrade some of their systems.

It is a way to avoid the EU and US boycott's that have been proposed.

Of course, the last time the Israelis helped someone upgrade their facilities, they had to go and rescue a few hostages.

[Truthfairy]

This should give the socialist Eurotwerps pause. But I doubt that they are clear-eyed enough to see the implications. Both the UK and Germany have embargoed replacement parts for the weapon systems they have sold Israel at exactly the time when such parts are likely to be needed. Not surprisingly, Israel has been developing a relationship with a more reliable supplier, India. With Israel's technical capability, India's growing heavy industrial capability, and a common interest in suppressing Muslim terrorism, this could get interesting. The Eurotwerps, of course, will end up with even less influence over Israel than they have now.

[TheBattman]

Definately a common enemy!!!

[LarryLied]

Jaguar (Shamsher)

• Year Deployed: Unknown
  
• Dimensions: 16.83 meters length, 4.89 meters height, 8.69 meters wingspan
  
• Weight: empty - 7,000 kilograms, maximum takeoff - 16,700 kilograms
  
• Propulsion: Two Rolls Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk 811 turbofans
  
• Range: 850 kilometers16
  
• Speed: Mach 1.5
  
• Maximum Loadout: 4,750 kilograms17
  
• Weapon Load: Various conventional air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions
  
• Locations: Squadron Nos. 5, 14, 16, 27 and No. 6 (antishipping)
  
• Number Deployed: 97 aircraft
  
• Primary Contractor: Hal, Bangalore Complex

The Jaguar, referred to by the Indians as the Shamsher (Assault Sword), is a single seat attack aircraft. The original batch was purchased from the British, the aircraft were subsequently assembled in India, and finally were built in India under license. The aircraft has an integrated attack/navigation system called DARIN (display attack and ranging inertial navigation) as well as other comparatively advanced avionic and electronic countermeasures gear.

The Jaguar is one of India's most capable ground attack aircraft. As such, it is one of the primary candidates to carry India's limited number of nuclear weapons. Although little is known about India's nuclear weapon infrastructure, it is almost certain that if any are weaponized, they are in the form of nuclear gravity bombs.

India's Possible Nuclear Delivery Systems

[l33t]

The article talks about Israel upgrading planes for India.

[Shermy]

TY for info. this "respected" paper has a specialty in dissonant headlines when they can be spun, esp. anti-american.

[weikel]

Nice little aircraft for a 3rd world country.

[LarryLied]

Raytheon got a major military contract with India last week for a radar system. It has been so long since India bought anything from us there was no one in the company or anywhere else who could remember the last deal (probably 40 years ago).

[mv1]

Don't forget Israel has been helping the chinese upgrade some of their systems.

Yes and Israel is the real WMD addict in the Middle East but everybody thinks of Hussein first.
China-Israel ties worry US

One element of the diplomatic crisis that erupted between Washington and Beijing this spring, after a US surveillance aircraft narrowly survived a close encounter with a Chinese warplane, went almost unnoticed in the drama surrounding the fate of the American crew.
Photographs released by the Pentagon of two Chinese jets that had shadowed the EP-3E Aries II on April 1 showed they were armed with Israeli-made Python air-to-air missiles. It was the first public proof of what had for years been an open secret in the defence community – that Israel is a supplier of sophisticated modern weaponry to the Chinese military.

[Mike Darancette]

Range: 850 kilometers

Why such short legs?

[dts32041]

So when your supposed friends won't help you, you go where you can get help.

Remember the first mirages in the Israeli Air force, where of designs the swiss had stolen from them.

Here is a little country of 5 million fighting for survival, you do what you have to.

The memory of being turned away as refugees in the 30's are very strong, then being placed in DP camps in the 40's by the brits, is even stronger.

The israeli's understand perfectly they can only count on themselves and no one else.

Never again is not a slogan for them.

[cookcounty]

"Range: 850 kilometers"

Why such short legs?

Because all points in Pakistan are less than 500km away.

[mathurine]

The mohammedans have declared war on the rest of the world; let's not misunderstand that. So grease "em back. Where it stops, nobody knows.

[LarryLied]

Weight: empty - 7,000 kilograms, maximum takeoff - 16,700 kilograms

Do you know if this ratio is common for fighters?