Posted on 07/16/2006 7:25:19 AM PDT by Jeff Head
The remains of three missing Israel Defense Forces soldiers who disappeared when their warship was attacked by Hezbollah off the coast of Lebanon were found Sunday aboard the damaged vessel, military officials said.
The body of a fourth soldier hurt in the attack was identified Saturday as Staff Sergeant Tal Amgar, 21, from Ashdod.
The three soldiers have been named as Sergeant Yoni Hershkovitz, 21, from Haifa; Corporal Shai Atias, 19, from Rishon Letzion and First Staff Sergeant Dov Shteinshos, 37, from Carmiel.
The incident occurred close to 8 P.M., west of Beirut, when the INS Spear, a Saar-5 Class destroyer, was on patrol as part of the naval blockade imposed on Lebanon since Wednesday.
The Saar-5 class is equipped with very advanced defensive systems. However, these were not in operation at the time of the attack, partly because of the number of IAF aircraft operating in the area. It was feared that if the system was in operation, it would mistakenly identify friendly aircraft as enemy targets and engage them.
The Navy has already issued new orders to its vessels operating off Lebanon.
The missile struck the vessel near its helicopter landing pad at the rear of the ship. A large explosion caused the landing pad to cave in and be engulfed in flames that threatened the aviation fuel storage below.
Initial assessment held that the ship had been struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle loaded with explosives. However, later in the night it became clear that a missile had hit INS Spear.
The missile, is a C-802 radar-guided anti-shipping missile manufactured in Iran using Chinese technology. Its range is estimated to be about 110 km.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Thanks for the update. I wondered at the time how pictures got on the internet so quickly.
Jeff, thanks so much for your informed insights. I have learned a great deal from your analysis.
Just as inexcusable that the machinegunner on the roof of the Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983 did not have a round in the chamber.
The captain was more worried about being held responsible for a friendly-fire incident, than in the safety of his command
Thanks for the ping! Good report.
Later in the thread I, and others, came to the realization that given the damage reported, those pics could not possibly be of the Saar 5, Spear, after it was hit.So, what were those pictures of? And are there any pix from the actual hit ship?
Exactly...and agreed. If the equipment and personnel are put in harm's way, then they have to be able to use all of the tools at their disposal to protect themselves and destroy the enemy.
You are weclome. I believe this engagement is a critical one, not just in this conflict, but in modern sea warfare in general.
They are pics, I believe, of an undamaged Saar 5, sailing. The confusion came in due to the stain marks near one of the aft dishcarge ports on the vessel. Those stains from the discharge, were confused for scrorch marks from battle damage...but they are not. I believe that is how it happened.
Yeah, that's a big snafu.
I wonder if the ship was operating at what the US Navy calls General Quarters ?
Thanks for the post. I continue to be troubled about reports that the air-defense systems were not fully active.
Huh? Have these guys not heard of "Friend or Foe"?
God bless their families.
Actually, this has got more French technology in it than our own. Most of the missile tech they got through Clinton years went into the improvements of their ICBN force.
It should have been active in manual mode, and the detection, acquisition, and targeting systems for their very advanced Barak missiles should have been on in any case.
As am I.
Iran is one of Israel's principal enemies. Iran is very open about the material and techical support they givve Hezbollah, whom these current operations were targeting. Iran has men on the ground in Lebannon. Iran has threatened recently to annihilate Israel. Iran has, and the IDF is well aware of it, had these C-802 anti-shipping missiles for some time.
One would think they would have been prepared for just this contigency with the most sophisticated ship they have that was designed precisely to defend against that type of threat.
It just does not add up to me.
Amen...God bless and comnfort their families and loved ones...and God rest their souls. May the IDF ensure that they have not died in vain.
Interesting that the Israel Navy uses the terms sergeant instead of petty officer or seaman.
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