US Department of Defense
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U.S. to sell Israel Air Force new bunker-buster bombs
Despite reservations in Washington regarding a possible Israeli strike on Iran, the American administration will supply Israel with sophisticated weapons for heavily fortified targets, the U.S. administration announced.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced it would sell the Israel Air Force 1,000 new smart bombs, rumored to significantly enhance the IAF's military capabilities. The deal was approved amid public and secret messages from Washington, with the Americans expressing their reservations about a possible Israeli strike against the Islamic Republic's suspected nuclear sites.
The Pentagon's announcement, which came on Friday, said the U.S. will provide Israel with 1,000 units of Guided Bomb Unit-39 (GBU-39) - a special weapon developed for penetrating fortified facilities located deep underground. The $77 million shipment, which includes launchers and appurtenances, will allow the IAF to hit many more bunkers than currently possible. Although each bomb weighs 113 kilograms, its penetration capabilities equal those of a one ton bomb, according to professional literature.
Most U.S. Air Force aircraft are able to carry a pack of four of these bombs in place of a single one-ton bomb. The bomb's small size allows a single-strike aircraft to carry more of the munitions than is possible utilizing currently available bomb units, thus increasing firepower, or, alternatively, allowing the aircraft to fly longer distances to deliver a single bomb.
During demonstrations, the GBU-39 - labeled by the manufacturer, Boeing, as a Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) - has successfully penetrated more than 1.8 meters of thick reinforced concrete with a 23-kilogram warhead. The GPS-guided weapon is said to have a 50-percent probability of hitting its intended target within 5-8 meters, which should minimize collateral damage.
The estimated value for the bomb's GPS version, which military experts have called the latest development in the bunker-buster line, is around $70,000 to $90,000 for each individual bomb.
The U.S. has already supplied Israel with earlier versions of bunker busters. In 2005, the Pentagon authorized the sale of GBU-28 to Israel, in a move that commentators construed as a hinted threat aimed at Iran. Haaretz reported earlier this month that the U.S. was hesitant about selling Israel heavier busters.
The Pentagon's announcement also said that the U.S. would help upgrade the Israel Defense Forces' patriot anti-aircraft missiles - which Israel uses as part of its missile-interception array. Israel will also receive 28,000 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) tube launchers for land forces. Despite reservations in Washington regarding a possible Israeli strike on Iran, the American administration will supply Israel with so... more -
Worst polluters: US Department of Defense
First in the series of the worst polluters out there, the US Department of Defense makes it to number one on our list.
Have a listen! First in the series of the worst polluters out there, the US Department of Defense makes it to number one on our list. ... more -
Baghdad: U.S. Embassy staff, soldiers killed
Two soldiers and two civilians from the Defense and State departments were killed Tuesday in a blast that rocked a municipal building in Baghdad's Sadr City. The attack also killed six Iraqis and wounded 10 others, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.
A second employee from the U.S. Defense Department also died, but that person wasn't an American. The employee was a dual Italian-Iraqi national, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.
The U.S. military said the blast struck a meeting of a district advisory council, a neighborhood group that looks at local needs and passes on its assessments to the provincial government.
The deputy head of the council was seriously injured, the Interior Ministry official said. Two soldiers and two civilians from the Defense and State departments were killed Tuesday in a blast that rocked a municipal building ... more -
Out of Batteries? Here Are Some Missiles.
"The U.S. Defense Department accidentally shipped non-nuclear ballistic missile components to Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Four nose-cone fuses for intercontinental ballistic missiles were shipped instead of helicopter batteries that Taiwan had requested..."
And apparently they had been in a warehouse since 2006 and Taiwan decided NOW was a good time to tell them. "The U.S. Defense Department accidentally shipped non-nuclear ballistic missile components to Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday. ... more -
China denies hacking Pentagon computers
Are we in the midst of another Cold War?
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Crimes Alberto Gonzalez DIDN'T Commit
"Investigations span the gamut from low-level officials submitting false claims for amounts less than $2,500 to more serious cases involving, conspiracy, bribery, product substitution and bid-rigging or double-billing involving large dollar amounts or more senior contracting officials, Army criminal investigators said. The investigations involve contractors, government employees, local nationals and American military personnel." "Investigations span the gamut from low-level officials submitting false claims for amounts less than $2,500 to more serious case... more
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Global War Fair
Hala and J.C. (of Dubizzle fame) venture to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to check out IDEX 2007: one of the biggest defense exhibitions on Earth, Interviews with Lockheed Martin and Kalishnikov. (stats from www.sipri.org) Hala and J.C. (of Dubizzle fame) venture to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to check out IDEX 2007: one of the big... more
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Facebook: A CIA Conspiracy?
Could it be?
A complex but riveting Big Brother-type conspiracy theory which links Facebook to the CIA and the US Department of defense. Could it be? ... more
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