Posted on 10/07/2009 1:15:04 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Israeli air force scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday after a light aircraft flew into restricted air space over its nuclear reactor in the southern Negev desert, the military said. The warplanes intercepted the aircraft and forced it to land at a nearby airstrip, where the two pilots were handed over to civilian authorities for investigation, an army spokeswoman said. Police had no immediate comment but Israeli media reported that the two men, from central Israel, claimed to have lost their way. Aircraft are forbidden from flying over the reactor near the desert town of Dimona. Israel says the reactor is for research purposes, but defence analysts say it is the centre of Israel's undeclared nuclear weapons programme. They say Dimona has been used to produce up to 200 nuclear warheads.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
More than 400, actually.
ADDITIONAL Link:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3786317,00.html
“Plane breaches Dimona reactor’s airspace”
SNIPPET: “Air Force jets scrambled to intercept civilian ultra-light plane violating no-fly zone over southern nuclear facility. Aircraft lands safely; pilot questioned”
Hanan Greenberg
Published: 10.06.09, 14:12 / Israel News
SNIPPET: “An ultra-light plane breached the Dimona nuclear facility airspace Tuesday. Israel Air Force jets were scrambled to intercept the aircraft, forcing it to land in an airfield near the southern city of Arad. The pilot was detained for questioning, then released.
The incident began to unfold after the IAF’s air control unit spotted the plane. The civilian pilot, whose reason for breaching the no-fly zone is still unclear, also apparently failed to file the appropriate flight plan with the Civil Aviation Authority.
Once identified, two IAF fighter jets were scrambled out of a nearby air base. The pilots made eye contact with the civil craft, and escorted it to its landing site near Arad.
Police officers mat the pilot on the ground and ascertained his identity, also making note of his pilot’s license details.”
What are their launch capabilities? Do thay have a one shot capability of releasing all of them if they are attacked or do they have depth?
If, say, Iran hit them with a nuclear device and they are crippled but hurl a country-destroying salvo back at Iran and beat back attacks from Lebanon and Gaza do they still have deterrent against advancing armies from Syria and Egypt in a scenario that lasts for days or weeks?
It wouldn’t take 400 nuclear weapons to destroy the bulk of Iran. There would still be enough left over to take on other enemies, I would think. Building an atom bomb is one thing, delivering it is another. It will probably be awhile before Iran is able to fit a nuclear warhead on to a missile unless someone is helping them (the Russians? AQ Khan?)
By now, the Israelis might have thermonuclear weapons (”H-bombs”) which is a whole different ballgame. The trigger for an H-bomb is an A-bomb, IIRC.
Mmm. Large persian glass bowl.
Iran tipped their hand. /sarc>
But the plane isn't the frightening part...it's the Israeli pilots.
Cheers!
That’s where God comes in.
If Iran hits them with a nuke, no one is going to invade. It’s like signing your own death warrant. Israel is not that big. Ironically, the West Bank and Jordan would be looking at serious radiation problems.
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