Ut, oh, here we go again. US taxpayers are being co-opted to handover to a
foreign country, billions of US tax dollars (by a govt that is $33 trillion in debt).
REFERECE FTA-—US arms mfg, Lockheed Martin, and Israel, have been developing a “laser defense system” that can be mounted on ships and planes. Israel has begun using the “directed energy weapons,” which are part of the larger Iron Beam laser defense system. However, each Iron Dome battery can cost $100 million, and each interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000.
FTA-—US arms mfg, Lockheed Martin, and Israel, have been developing a “laser defense system” that can be mounted on ships and planes. Israel has begun using the “directed energy weapons,” which are part of the larger Iron Beam laser defense system.
BACKSTORY Both the Trump and Biden administrations had restricted sensitive technological exports to China. As a result, China turned to cooperative Israel. China’s direct investment in Israel’s IT industry, especially in chips and semiconductors, now has increased.
In 2017, Israeli PM Netanyahu said China accounts for one-third of the investment in Israeli high technology, which includes US military technology the US shares w/ Israel, its strongest ally. In the ’90s, Israel sold military equipment and technologies to China, including the Harpy missile system.
This incident chilled relations between the United States and Israel, with Israel being suspended from its status as Security Cooperative Participant in the Joint Strike Fighter program. However, on 6 November 2005, Israel stated that it has been re-admitted into the program.
The US had to pressure Israel to stop sharing US military technology w/ China. Yet Israel still doesn’t restrict China from acquiring dual-usage technologies that could have military implications against the US.
A succession of US administrations warned Israel about its growing tie with China, sharing concern about China using Israel as a backdoor to access sensitive technologies from the US.
The most vocal objection to Sino-Israeli ties came from the Trump administration. When former Secy of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in 2019, he warned Israelis that the CCP “engages in spying through its commercial state-owned enterprises and presents risk through its technology systems. Pompeo said China’s actions posed a risk.
Unfortunately, Israel largely brushed aside the warnings. Like many other countries, China’s massive market has enticed Israel. Plus, the Israeli government hopes China’s good relationships with Arab nations may help Israel.
This year, Netanyahu was working on a Sino-Israeli free trade agreement and planned to visit China. But China’s siding w/ Hamas should wake up Israel’s leaders to the reality that Communist China’s relationship with Israel is purely transactional.
Worrying about the cost of supporting an ally, our only one in the middle east, is secondary at this time. Iron Beam accomplishes a few things:
Neutralizes a wide range of threats with pinpoint accuracy
Protects military forces and civilian populations
Uses an unlimited magazine
Causes limited collateral damage
Costs almost nothing per intercept
Integrates with a variety of platforms and systems
So the suspension of rockets and other killing air devices is a major concern at this time. Hamas is not going to get far with a ground atttack now. And since this weapon requires very little needs, it would be the cheapest way to handle it. So, trying to make sense of expensive means nothing when it’s the cheapest way to go.
wy69
Pentagon says it has no money for Middle East buildup
Under the temporary budget, funding is frozen at the previous year’s levels.
By LARA SELIGMAN, politico.com, 11/28/2023
The Defense Department has ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group, air defenses, fighter jets and hundreds of troops to the Middle East since the surprise terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, in an effort to prevent the conflict from spiraling into a regional war.
The problem: Congressional dysfunction means the Pentagon has no money to pay for the buildup.
The military, like the rest of the federal government, is operating under a temporary funding measure that freezes spending at the previous year’s levels. And because the Middle East troop movements weren’t planned, the Pentagon has had to pull money from existing operations and maintenance accounts, DOD spokesperson Chris Sherwood said. President Joe Biden signed the stopgap measure this month to keep the government open until lawmakers can agree on a full-year spending bill.
Because DOD had to hunt for funds, that means less money for training, exercises and deployments the military had already planned for the year. Some contractual payments could be delayed, Sherwood said.
White House: Hamas to release 20 more hostages as cease-fire extended
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“Current events have revised some of the operational assumptions used to develop the FY 2024 President’s Budget request. Specifically, neither the base budget request nor the FY 2024 supplemental request included funding for U.S. operations related to Israel,” he said.