U.S. Electronic Surveillance Monitored Israeli Attack on Syria, Reports AVIATION WEEK

Money.Cnn ^ | November 21, 2007 | PR Newswire Staff

[america4vr]

The U.S. provided Israel with information about Syrian air defenses before Israel attacked a suspected nuclear site in Syria, reports AVIATION WEEK, which broke the story on its website, AviationWeek.com, today. The complete story will appear in the November 26 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology

The U.S. was monitoring the electronic emissions coming from Syria during Israel's September 6 attack, and while there was no active American engagement in the operation, military and aerospace industry officials told AW&ST that advice was provided.

The AW&ST article, reported by Dave Fulghum, Robert Wall and Amy Butler, also reveals that the main attack, targeting a suspected nuclear reactor being developed at Dayr az-Zawr, was preceded by an engagement with a single Syrian radar site at Tall al-Abuad, near the Turkish border.

The radar site was struck with a combination of electronic attack and precision bombs to allow the Israeli force to enter and exit Syrian airspace without being observed. As a result, all of Syria's air-defense radar system went off the air during the raid, U.S. intelligence analysts told AW&ST.

"Offensive and defensive network warfare is one of the most interesting new areas," says Pinchas Buchris, the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. "I can only say we're following the [network attack] technology with great care. I doubted this [technology] five years ago. But we did it. Now everything has changed."

[america4vr]

What motivation for/intrigue lies beneath the release of this report? We all accepted the news that this occurred. What was gained by releasing this information?

[neodad]

It’s good for our enemies to know it as well. All Your Airspace Are Belong to Us!

[Nachum]

That it was Israel that did it, not the US.

[ASA Vet]

MI Ping

[2ndDivisionVet]

Aviation Week & Space Technology has a long history of leaking classified information, whether for disinformation purposes or what, I don’t know. Janes also has a lot of good information.

[Ken522]

“Loose lips sink ships!”

[robomatik]

this is a bizarre story all around. the story keeps changing. the only common thread is an EMP, an unscathed IDF, and a demolished syrian nuke facility.

hey iran... watch your 6...

[Ronin]

Aviation Leak has a huge following and a very good reputation for factuality. This was probably an authorized leak to remind Iran that, in the event of an air strike, their air defenses would be useless.

[Cogadh na Sith]

The U.S. provided Israel with information about Syrian (top-o-the-line-expensive-state-o-the-art-Russian-made-supposedly-undefeatable) air defenses before Israel attacked a suspected nuclear site in Syria, reports AVIATION WEEK, which broke the story on its website, AviationWeek.com, today.

Get it now?

[txhurl]

9/6 ping

[Steely Tom]

The radar site was struck with a combination of electronic attack and precision bombs to allow the Israeli force to enter and exit Syrian airspace without being observed. As a result, all of Syria's air-defense radar system went off the air during the raid, U.S. intelligence analysts told AW&ST.

Kinda the electronic equivalent of a "glass jaw."

I wonder how much old man Assad spent on that air-defense radar system? I wonder if he got the optional "extended warranty."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Makes sense to me.

[txhurl]

This is a site that cooked up immediately (at the time) as struck, other than Deir al Zahr

It's on the Turkish border.

[antinomian]

"top-o-the-line-expensive-state-o-the-art-Russian-made-supposedly-undefeatable) air defenses"

Do we know for certain that the new Russian air defense systems were already installed and operational?

[Jeff Head]

Tehran now knows that they are defenseless before us and Israel. All of the money they spent on the fancy new Russian air defense systems (which are the same employed by the Syrians) now mean nothing as a result of this.

The Israelis went in and out and the Syrians did not know they were coming until after the fact when they received reports of the destruction of their anti-air sites and their nuclear site. Up to that point they probably just believed that their "system" had a glitch...except for their people on the ground at those sites at the tip end of the sword.

Tehran, Russia, and even China are being sent a pretty clear and devastating message by such a report.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Do we know for certain that the new Russian air defense systems were already installed and operational?

If it wasn't, this article wouldn't exist.

[Eyes Unclouded]

Good question! A follow up would be who was operating it. The Syrians would lose in Raptors vs some F-16s. Operating equipment needs trained personal the Arab armies aren’t really adjusted to have the keen personal out there. Their armies are mainly built with internal affairs in mind and thusly are built to contain each other. It’s hard to imagine the real smart guys they had would a)be on the Russian systems b) have had enough time to train or c) be given freedom to act properly. (Recall that in the strike on Iraq many SAM batteries were not even on!)

[bajabaja]

I think that message was conveyed (or rather “demonstrated”) on September 6 by the IAF. I wonder if this article has more to do with Putin’s recent rants. (Dear Putin: We’ve known your radar are sub-par for a while and it can’t be revamped in time to assist Iran, if needed — so don’t get too bold.) Could be wrong. Usually am. Ask my girlfriend.

[Mariner]

It's good for the Chinese and the Russians to know that the US possesses the technology to completely disable their defense networks at will.

You're far less likely to have to use the capability that way...and you hold FAR more political sway and influence. :)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

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