By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu for IsraelNN via Information Clearing House
An unprecedented number of American generals, along with 1,400 U.S. army soldiers, are participating with top IDF brass in the high-level Juniper Cobra military exercise that one U.S. Navy commander said is aimed at “specific threats.” Public affairs officials interrupted the naval commander in order to divert the conversation from the scenario of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities and defending itself from a counter-attack.
One senior IDF source told BBC magazine, “I’ve never seen so many American generals.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, along with the commander of the U.S. force in Europe and U.S. ambassador to Israel James Cunningham attended the three-week exercise on Tuesday. It is one of the largest-ever joint training drills and is fueling speculation that the United States is preparing for the worst while hoping for the best concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
Former IDF General Yitzchak Ben-Israel told BBC, “[On] one thing we are serious: We will not let Iran have a nuclear bomb.” He said that the joint drill, which is held annually, “is not a bluff’ but is aimed at pressuring Iran to back down from its refusal to cooperate with international authorities on its program to enrich uranium, a key element for a nuclear weapon.”
“But if Iran will not be pressed, if Iran continues to insist that it has the right to go and enrich uranium as much as it wants, then someone will have to use force.” he added.
“Overall, the goal is to ensure peace in the region, and maybe even farther from this region,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu. “I think the IDF and the U.S. Armed Forces are creating a new path, and the goal is to defend Israel. This exercise, unique and large in scale, is an expression of the meaningful relations between Israel and the United States”
The exercise included a live-fire component and a multi-layered active defense system.
As the joint drill was taking place, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the U.S. Congress, “Whoever threatens Israel also threatens us.”
I just hope Russia supplies soon the S-300 system to Iran, according to the agreement signed more than 4 years ago. But unfortunately, perhaps now it is too late, as it take months to train operators capable of using it.
I don’t see what Russia gains by delaying this delivery. The GRU has recently accused Israel to continue delivering weapons to Georgia:
http://sp.rian.ru/onlinenews/20091107/123869438.html (in Spanish).
It is high time Russia and China fully support Iran against a likely agression.
@Carlo: I feel the same frustration with the Russian zig-zags on Iran, but I also have to tell you that while the S-300 is a fantastic weapons system, it still needs to be integrated into a complex air defense system and that this takes a lot of time and training.
I did see Shlyakhturov’s interview and I have to tell you that I think that some of what he said was nonsense. While I am quite confident that the usual clique (the Israelis, the Ukies & Co.) is re-arming the Georgians the idea of Georgia attacking again is preposterous. Russia has taken out most of the Georgian military in 4 days in very bad condition. Now there are pre-positioned Russian forces in both Ossetia and Abkhazia and for Georgia to try something again would be simply suicidal. I think that Shlyakhturov is feeding us what the Russians call “deza” i.e., disinformation.
My 2cts.
I agree with you that it is very unlikely, almost impossible, that Georgia will attack again. But this is not the point, the main thing is that, while Obama talks about “resetting relations” and Israel assures Russia that they are not selling weapons to Georgia, they continue to give full military support to Saakashvili. The same about S-300 deliveries to Iran: perhaps now it is quite late and it won’t make a difference to defend Iran against an attack, but the most important is the message that Russia will give to the US and Israel.
So why are the Russians being so stupid as they were in the last 20 years, abandoning their allies and putting their own security at risk, just to try to improve relations with the West? Russia went to war to defend South Ossetia; but they don’t need to do this to help Iran, Russian soldiers don’t need to risk their lives, all Russia needs to do is to sell advanced weapons and give political support. It is easy to support Iran, and Russia has a lot to gain. And, in the end, not only Russia and Iran, but the entire world.
Saker,
how hard would it be for Iran to build a nationwide air defense assuming Russia were willing to sell top equipment and training? Would such a system defeat a determined air assault?
Also, I heard china has made an S300 knock off. Do you know if it’s any good?
@Lysander: how hard would it be for Iran to build a nationwide air defense assuming Russia were willing to sell top equipment and training? Would such a system defeat a determined air assault?
The short answer is “yes”. But…
I am assuming an integrated air-defense system like the one Russia has, with air defense elements from the Front level down to the company level, all integrated and working together. That is *very* hard to built. It’s not just a matter of hardware, it is also a matter of training and experience. Mind you, I am not saying that the USAF and Navy could not conduct attacks against Iran if Iran had such a system, but I am saying that the costs would be huge immediately and that is not something the USA can take. The entire US warfighting doctrine is predicated on achieving almost immediate (24-36 hours) air dominance over their opponents. That is something which a integrated Russian air defense system could totally deny them.
Also, I heard china has made an S300 knock off. Do you know if it’s any good?
Never heard of it. I know that they have S-300s and that the actually technology on these is not that advanced. Its the way these technologies are integrated which makes the S-300 so good. That, and how the Russians use it.
Mind you, putting a number of Tors or S-300 in Iran would still scare the crap of the Americans and Israelis. They are so used to going against 1970s air defenses that actually being faced with a more modern (1980s really) system would not be to their liking at all.
Cheers!