http://www.jpost.com/com/Archive/28.Oct.1999/News/Article-0.html
Thursday, October 28, 1999
US upset by Israeli arms sales to India
By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN
JERUSALEM (October 28) - The US has
expressed its concern that Israel's
sale of advanced weaponry to New
Delhi is disrupting the sensitive
arms balance between India and
Pakistan. US officials told The
Jerusalem Post. US officials
accompanying Defense Secretary
William Cohen, have raised the
issue with their Israeli
counterparts.
"We have seen disturbing press
reports of this sale of Popeye II
missiles, and we believe that the
introduction of top-of-the-line
technology to what is already a
tense regional security situation in South Asia at this
time would be extremely worrisome," said Larry Schwartz,
spokesman for the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.
The issue of advanced technology transfers by Israel to
China was also discussed, US officials said.
It is known that one of Israel's prized military exports
is the highly accurate Popeye air-to-surface missile.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Popeye is
effective against high-value targets, such as bunkers
and missile sites.
The US has focused considerable attention on the arms
balance in the Asian subcontinent. The recent coup in
Pakistan has heightened America's desire to stabilize
the region.
Last week, 11 Israeli defense firms traveled to New
Delhi to ply their wares at a defense trade exhibition.
Some of the top defense companies, including Elbit,
Israel Aircraft Industries, TAAS - Israel Industries,
Rafael, and Elisra, participated.
Rafael and Lockheed Martin have already cooperated to
produce the 1,400-kilo AGM-142, virtually identical to
the Popeye I, for the US Air Force.
They are also involved in a joint venture to produce the
Popeye II, also known as the Have Lite.
The Popeye II is an electro-optical guided missile which
is launched about 150 km. from its target. When it gets
to about 20 km. from the target, its electro-optical eye
searches for and then locks on to the target. It has a
400-kg. warhead and can be used against both reinforced
targets or as a fragmentation bomb against anti-aircraft
sites.
There is only one other weapon system like it and that
is the AGM 130 made by the US firm Rockwell. This
missile first saw action in Kosovo and the one which hit
the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.
The highly-accurate Popeye I was based on the combat
experience of the IAF and has been operational since the
late 1980s. Israel has sold it to Australia, and is
currently negotiating a deal to supply South Korea.
Turkey has already bought 50 Popeye I missiles for its
fleet of F-4s currently being upgraded at Israel
Aircraft Industries. But the new deal for Popeye II
missiles involves a consortium to be established between
two Turkish firms and Rafael that will jointly produce
it.
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