U.S. backtracks, okays Israeli sale of Phalcon to India

Haaretz ^ | Aluf Benn | Aluf Benn

[klpt]

Washington has lifted all its objections to Israel's selling a Phalcon airborne radar system to India and has given the Defense Ministry a green light for the $1 billion deal, without any conditions or limitations.

A year-and-a-half ago, Israel and India agreed to the deal, and the Americans gave their approval in principle. But in early 2002, the U.S. asked Israel to postpone the sale because of rising tension between India and Pakistan. It has since been frozen, waiting for U.S. approval.

The Phalcon is a long-range Israeli-made radar mounted on a Russian-built cargo plane. The radar will extend the range of the Indian air force, enabling very long-range identification of targets and control over the weapons aimed at them. There is no American equipment on the plane, but Israel coordinates its defense sales with Washington since it vetoed a similar sale to China three years ago, sparking a diplomatic crisis with Beijing.

The White House is also considering lifting limits on Israel exporting defense systems against ballistic missiles. If those restrictions are lifted, India will be able to purchase Arrow missile systems, which were developed with American financing and therefore require American approval for sales.

The change in policy on Israeli weapons sales to India is the result of American interest in maintaining a stable balance of power between India and Pakistan. It has recently been pushing India and Pakistan to hold peace talks.

[swarthyguy]

What prompted this change of heart?

A bone to India as Musharraf gets feted at Camp David?

Whatever the reason, nice.

[Black Agnes]

I just keep wondering when they're gonna play Indians and Muslims.

[El Gato]

The photo is of the Phalcon system on a 707. My understanding is that the Indian System will be mounted on an IL-76 type aircraft. The IL-76 is a Soviet/Russian transport and the platform for their own AWACS like system, The A-50, which like our AWACS uses the older rotating dome technology rather than the Phalcon's Electronically Steered Arrays(ESAs). The new Austrailian Wedgetail system, mounted on a 737, will also us ESA type technology, as will the eventual replacement of the AWACS.

[mikeIII]

With India's peace moves toward Pakistan, it would seem this is a gesture of encouragement.

As for feting ol' Mush in Camp David - is this true?

[swarthyguy]

WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush will welcome President Pervez Musharraf to the Camp David retreat on June 24 to discuss improving bilateral ties, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Tuesday.

"President Bush looks forward to discussing with President Musharraf regional and international issues and to reviewing means to further deepen and broaden the bilateral ties between the United States and Pakistan," he said.

The meeting will come as part of an official, week-long visit to the United States by President Musharraf, Pakistani officials said last week. The visit had earlier been tentatively scheduled for mid-June but that programme was revised through mutual consultations, he said.

General Musharraf will hold talks with Bush on the "whole gambit of bilateral relations, the fight against terrorism, Pakistan-India relationship, developments in Afghanistan and the situation in post-war Iraq," a senior Foreign Ministry official said. Musharraf, whom Fleischer called a "stalwart ally" in the global war on terrorism, last visited the United States in September.

[adam_az]

The White House is also considering lifting limits on Israel exporting defense systems against ballistic missiles. If those restrictions are lifted, India will be able to purchase Arrow missile systems, which were developed with American financing and therefore require American approval for sales.

Good thinking, since we want friendly countries to have anti ballistic missile systems of their own, and the Israeli system is excellent and probably available faster.