Apparently under pressure from Boeing Corp. (which announced massive layoffs from its defense division right after last week's US election), Israel Aircraft Industries has agreed to resume manufacture of spy systems for the Turkish Air Force's Boeing 737's (Hat Tip: Asher G).
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1)
unit ELTA Systems has decided to restart the manufacture of electronic
measures systems the Turkish Air Force's Boeing’s 737 early warning and
control Systems spy aircraft, "informed sources" have told Turkey's
"Hurriyet Daily News."
The newspaper added that the decision paves
the way for the release of Boeing’s long-delayed four 737 planes, which
were built for a total of $1.6 billion. The Turkish daily also
speculated that the decision to supply the critical devices may also
mean an end to Israel's two-year defense exports ban for Turkey. The
sources said that with the decision to continue production recently, the
manufacture of a third plane approached completion. ELTA had finished
the production of the EMS systems for the first two aircraft years ago.
"Hurriyet
Daily News" recounted that in 2002, Turkey’s defense procurement
agency, ordered four 737-700 AEW&C aircraft from Boeing, ground
radar and control systems, plus ground control segments for mission crew
training, mission support and maintenance support. Under the agreement
the four aircraft were supposed to be released in 2006. But the
integration of the planes took much longer. ELTA is building the EMS
systems for four aircraft and its Turkish systems are expected to cost
more than $100 million.
The ELTA decision follows Boeing’s
efforts to urge the Israeli company to restart this Turkish
manufacturing. Elta is the single producer of the EMS systems for
Boeing’s 737 aircraft. The 737 Boeing AEW&C aircraft are to be used
as part of Turkey’s NATO capabilities.
This really neat video was presented at the recently concluded Paris Air Show 2011 by Israel Aircraft Industries.
In this short film, IAI presents a wide range of capabilities, on the ground, in the air, at sea, and in space. An unfolding scenario shows how IAI's systems allow a country to defend itself from enemy action, and responding decisively and rapidly to prevent the situation from escalating more than is necessary. Intelligence and reconnaissance systems, ground- and sea-launched air defense, ballistic missile defense, satellite capabilities, a range of unmanned aircraft, precision guided weapons and much more provide security to the host country, its resources, territory and citizens. All the systems employed in the film are IAI developed and produced systems.
Let's go to the videotape (Hat Tip: Ariela Z). By the way, I didn't have 3-D glasses either and it was still quite entertaining.
Al Schwimmer, the American-born founder of Israel Aircraft Industries, passed away over the weekend. He was 94. Schwimmer is considered a hero in Israel, but he was considered a criminal in the United States until he was pardoned by Bill Clinton upon leaving office in January 2001. JPost explains.
There are times in history when to act morally one must break the law. Al Schwimmer, who passed away Saturday at the age of 94, understood this.
In the years leading up to the War of Independence he quickly realized that doing what was right and doing what was lawful were not the same. He disregarded an arms embargo imposed on what was then Palestine and helped prepare the evolving Jewish state to defend itself by gaining aerial dominance.
Thanks to Schwimmer's American-based arms network – with branches in Hawaii, Panama, Czechoslovakia and Mexico – Israel successfully rebuffed the onslaught of Palestinian militias as well as an offensive launched by the combined armies of neighboring Arab nations during the 1948-49 war. Under his direction the network borrowed and sometimes stole dozens of fighter aircraft, recruited scores of battletrained American and British pilots and mechanics and shipped tons of ammunition that proved critical to the war effort.
Yet Schwimmer’s efforts were seen by the US as criminal. Declassified FBI documents quoted by The Forward in 2001 indicate that Schwimmer was suspected of illegally transporting weapons, some of which were allegedly stolen from US Navy ordnance dumps. For some time Schwimmer managed to stay one step ahead of federal investigators and export authorities. But in February 1950 the law caught up with him. A Federal District Court in Los Angeles convicted Schwimmer of conspiracy to violate the US Neutrality Act and export control laws.
Federal judge Thomas Madden personally supported getting planes out of the US “to do the job that some had said they should have been doing.” Nevertheless, he was compelled by law to fine Schwimmer $10,000 and strip him of his civil rights. It was not until 2001 that Schwimmer, who never agreed to apologize, would be pardoned by US president Bill Clinton for his “crimes.”
He engineered a major coup for Israel when France refused to sell its Mirage fighter jets to Israel in the 1960s. Al went to Switzerland and was able to convince a Swiss engineer to part with the plans for the Mirage in return for an unknown amount of cash.. Israel manufactured its own version of the Mirage, which was essential for victory over the Arab air might in the 1967 Six Day War. Schwimmer was persona non grata in Switzerland for many years thereafter.
I am sure that I am going to get comments from readers who will be upset that Schwimmer broke the law. But sometimes - in Sheakespeare's words - the law is an ass. When a law is unjust, sometimes it must be broken in order to survive. Think about the civil rights activists in the US in the 1960's. They were breaking an unjust law too, and they were willing to pay a price. So was Schwimmer.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
