Israel-China UAV Deal Provokes Pentagon

(25 December 2004) The Pentagon�s undersecretary of defence for policy Doug Feith accused top Israeli defence ministry official on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deal between Israel and the People�s Republic of China (PRC), and claimed that this has caused a confidence crisis between the Pentagon and the Israeli MoD.
Israel�s Channel Two television reported on 15 December that Feith had demanded the resignation of retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yaron, the widely respected and longtime director-general of Israel�s MoD. According to the reports, Feith was �outraged� that he was not informed the UAV sale to China few years ago, and demanded the resignation of retired Maj. Gen. Amos Yaron, the widely respected and long-time director-general of Israel�s MoD.

This is also the first time that the existence of such a deal between China and Israel is confirmed. China reportedly acquired some unknown number of the Israeli Aerospace Industry (IAI)�s Harpy Attack UAV in 1994. In summer 2004 some of these UAVs were sent back to Israel to be upgraded for better performance. The Pentagon has already demanded that Israel not to deliver these UAVs to China, even though they are properties of the PRC.

Harpy is the armed UAV developed by IAI in the 1990s. It is a unique weapon system with features of both UAV and cruise missile. Launched from a ground vehicle or surface warship far away from the battle zone, the Harpy UAV can detect, attack and destroy radar emitters in all-weather conditions, day/night over a distance of 500kg. Once an enemy radar is detected and verified, the UAV transitions into a near vertical dive and destroy the target with its high explosive warhead.

As well as in service with the Israeli Defence Force, the Harpy UAV has also been exported to Turkey and India. The Western intelligence first identified Harpy UAVs in service with the PLA in the joint PLA exercise held near the Taiwan Strait in 2004. The Bush administration has pressured Israel to �roll back� on its defence relations with China.


The Harpy is an advanced attack UAV system

Yeah here's a link I found that tells all about it, pretty cool vehicle also pretty good range too, due to it's low speed it can operate for several hours searching for enemy radar emissions.

[edit on 10-1-2005 by blue cell]

Originally posted by Stealth Spy
Launched from a ground vehicle or surface warship far away from the battle zone, the Harpy UAV can detect, attack and destroy radar emitters in all-weather conditions, day/night over a distance of 500kg.

sorry a real nitpicker I've become aye??

I seen this before in a article and they called it the Kamikaze UAV. It always blows up if it finds a target or not. Really more like a mini cruise missile I would think.

Whats with Israel working with China when did they start working with each other?

I'm missing something here. Why doesn’t the U.S. just tighten the leash on its mutt? I mean we fund their military yet they can take that technology/funded technology and sell it to the enemy?
Since we have a base in Iraq now and no longer need their support/land I say we sever the ties. Anyone else agree?
This isn't the first careless thing they have done...

china and isreal have a defence relationship dating back 20 years, however they agreed in 2000 not to sell any more technology to China that contained US componants.

These Harpy drones do not have any US tech in them and yet they are trying to block isreal returning them... stinks to me

It also leaves Isreal in a crappy place as they lose an important customer and also find their relationship with the US damaged. It's a lose lose situation.

China has demanded Isreal return the drones or in the least compensate them fully else it will take them to court

Others pay the research and China obtain it by buying (cheaply, dublicate) / spying technology and make quick leaps in every areas. No wonder US should be scared. EU has faced same thing, US decreasing military technology sharing, or at least that was threat not long time ago, dunno if its taking effect yet.

ChristRT: Its not Israel only that make Washington to do what it does, its American people that make demands also, if US would cut its bond to Israel big outrage toward president would occur. Its somewhat odd relation, and religion is one of the major factor on it to control generally religious people minds, while its geopolitic.

Israel has a history of taking US product/tech and converting or copying and then reselling the tech to other countries. THere is no need to break off relations, just stop selling them tech. Screw em.

the harpy drones had NO US tech inside of them

Technically it's non of the american buisness what Isreal does with it's harpy drones... but just tell that to the Bush administration

I thought Israel-China realations were in cold storage after 1989 and tianenmen...apparently not...though they aren't bum-chums either just business associates..
I'd really like to get a figure on chinas defence purchases from Israel recently...that'd give a better picture..

Originally posted by Daedalus3
I'd really like to get a figure on chinas defence purchases from Israel recently...that'd give a better picture..

Here's a US government report that mentions some of their trade:

uscc.gov
Israel-China Military Transfers
As the Commission noted in its 2002 report, Israel was second
only to Russia as a weapons system provider to China and as a
conduit for sophisticated military technology. The Commission continues
to be concerned over Israeli transfers of U.S.-origin technology
to China....

According to a December 15, 2003, Defense News story, ��Israel�s MOD
(Ministry of Defense) recently granted more than a dozen licenses
for Israeli firms to market specific products and services in China,
industry officials here said. Israeli-developed systems proposed for
sale to China�s People�s Liberation Army include the Tavor personal
assault weapon, pilot training systems, advanced communication
and surveillance gear, and a range of unmanned aerial vehicles.��
39
The Defense Department reports that Israel has sold a number
of HARPY unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to China.40 The PLA
has apparently integrated the HARPY into its operational forces,
since they appeared in PLA exercises during 2002. The HARPY is
designed to detect, attack, and destroy radar emitters. These systems
pose a significant threat to various critical military C4ISR facilities
on Taiwan as well as to U.S. operational forces operating in
the region. The UAV has a range of about five hundred kilometers
and contains a high-explosive warhead.41