Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., August 20, 2007 Elul 6, 5767 | | Israel Time: 14:44 (EST+7)
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A Katyusha-style rocket slaming into a building in the northern coastal town of Nahariya in July 2006, during the Second Lebanon War. (Yehuda Raizner / BauBau)
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Last update - 15:59 17/08/2007
Funding problems may expose home front to missile threats
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent

Lack of a consistent funding plan may leave the home front open to rocket and missile threats from neighboring countries, defense industry officials told Haaretz Thursday.

The Defense Ministry, however, said the lack of such a plan will not impede development.

The officials said they were concerned about the absence of a regular government funding plan for Israel's primary missile-interception project. They warned that inadequate and short-sighted budgeting may cause contractors to be unable to meet the government's deadline 20 months from now for deploying anti-ballistic rocket systems near population centers.

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The sources estimate that the budget for Iron Dome, Israel's short-range, rocket-based interception system, will run out by the end of 2007. But last week, officials at Rafael, the national authority for the development of weapons and military technology told Haaretz the system could be made operational within 18 months.

The sources say the company chosen to develop the Iron Dome's radar system, Israel Aerospace Industries, never received a proper order for work on the system. The radar has not yet been fitted to Iron Dome's requirements.

Former defense minister Amir Peretz allocated several dozen million shekels several months ago to Rafael to develop the system. A senior official in the defense industry told Haaretz that the Iron Dome project "is advancing at a very slow pace, which contradicts the cabinet's resolutions on quickly setting up active defenses for towns and cities near the Gaza Strip and the border with Lebanon that have in past years come under repeated rocket attacks."

The official said the missile and rocket interception system should get precedence over other projects until completion.

"The system should be declared a national project, with the multi-annual budgetary plan that comes with such a move," the official said. Last Week, Haaretz reported that Defense Minister Ehud Barak wants the existence of an operational Iron Dome system to be a prerequisite for an Israeli pullout from the West Bank.

The official said funding must come from the government because none of the defense industry's companies can afford to develop a $100 million system such as Iron Dome.

"The defense industries need money to make headway. But currently, there isn't even a dedicated administrational body for handling development and to regularly allocate budgets and sub-budgets," the official said.

The Defense Ministry argued that in the past, defense projects have been successfully brought to completion without forming a dedicated administration.

"Iron Dome does not have a dedicated administration, but the project is being properly handled by the Defense Ministry's Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technology Industry. The administration staff is engaged in daily and constant contact with Iron's Dome developer Rafael."

Defense Ministry officials said the issue of a regular funding plan for Iron Dome may be addressed in the general-staff forum on the defense budget scheduled for next week. "The ministry is currently discussing how to implement the defense budget for 2008," one said.

Rafael's public relations department said they "expect to sign a multi-annual development plan in the near future." Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, declined to comment.

The Iron Dome system is meant to use the Israel Defense Forces' early warning radar system to identify short-range missiles and rockets in flight. In addition to Qassam rockets, Iron Dome is meant to protect against Hezbollah and Syria's Katyusha rockets.

Before going ahead with Rafael's Iron Dome, the Defense Ministry reviewed 13 other suggestions. Some of the proposed systems were rejected because their development process would be too long for the defense establishment's needs.
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  1.   What happened to the $30 billon from America? 02:31  |  Wendy 17/08/07
  2.   is the holdup really fiscal, or is it technical, too? 03:01  |  Pssd Off American 17/08/07
  3.   Fast pennies beat slow dollars? 03:08  |  Born in the USA 17/08/07
  4.   The whole "defense plan" is a hoax - here`s why... 04:36  |  Dr. L. Brnd 17/08/07
  5.   How much does one want to waste? 04:56  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  6.   Any amount spent is a waste 07:44  |  spyguy 17/08/07
  7.   greed taking over 08:12  |  VIPER 17/08/07
  8.   What happened to the $30 billon from America? 08:19  |  John Stewart 17/08/07
  9.   #8, it has not even been allocated yet 09:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/08/07
  10.   hisballah may relax now 09:57  |  scanadu 17/08/07
  11.   The money will come 09:58  |  indrajaya 17/08/07
  12.   to # 4 10:30  |  Mark 17/08/07
  13.   lack of funds for home front protection 10:34  |  Steven 17/08/07
  14.   John #8 11:09  |  jjvanka 17/08/07
  15.   Oh Barak, what a pity 11:38  |  eddie karaite 17/08/07
  16.   Funding for Iron Dome. 11:40  |  Giles Martin 17/08/07
  17.   To number 12. 11:43  |  Giles Martin 17/08/07
  18.   Total Waste of Money 11:57  |  Ben Israel 17/08/07
  19.   Economical point! 12:02  |  Shemo 17/08/07
  20.   Home Front lack of fonds!!! 12:36  |  Member of Home Front 17/08/07
  21.   Lack of funds may expose homefront 14:07  |  Monique 17/08/07
  22.   If not enough $$, STRIKE FIRST ! ! 15:28  |  Mike 17/08/07
  23.   Ask Eu for funds! 15:33  |  mb 17/08/07
  24.   BARAK IS AN IDIOT, JUDEA AND SAMARIA IS MORE IMPORTUNED 15:34  |  20x20 17/08/07
  25.   This is a ridiculous discussion 16:00  |  David 17/08/07
  26.   Reading between the lines 16:20  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  27.   The bottom between the lines 16:24  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  28.   Forget About The Cost (part 1) 17:23  |  Jeff Northridge 17/08/07
  29.   Forget About The Cost (part 1) 17:24  |  Jeff Northridge 17/08/07
  30.   Forget About The Cost (part 1) 17:32  |  Jeff Northridge 17/08/07
  31.   1 17:42  |  zionist forever 17/08/07
  32.   no money for bomb shelters so no money for rocket defense 17:53  |  zionist forever 17/08/07
  33.   No idea Shemo, but those are 17:57  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  34.   Forget About The Cost (part 2) 18:10  |  Jeff Northridge 17/08/07
  35.   What happened to Laser based system? 18:27  |  Lemmings Hotline 17/08/07
  36.   Forget About The Cost (part 3) 18:48  |  Jeff Northridge 17/08/07
  37.   Scandalous form of leaking ?semi information.? 18:59  |  H.H.M 17/08/07
  38.   Zionist forever 19:32  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  39.   H.H.M Scandalous form of leaking 19:38  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  40.   Iron Dome 20:04  |  Rauven Schneider 17/08/07
  41.   funding problems 20:07  |  colin 17/08/07
  42.   35lemmings hotline. Fate of laser based system... 20:27  |  bat yam 17/08/07
  43.   What happened to Laser based system? 22:44  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  44.   Dear Jeff somewhere in space over California 23:00  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  45.   David from London 23:04  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  46.   Funding Missile Defense System 23:26  |  P. J. Casey 17/08/07
  47.   A real deterrent is the only reliable defense. 00:15  |  David 18/08/07
  48.   Bankruptcy is on its way 06:08  |  spyguy 18/08/07
  49.   #48, spyguy 09:11  |  Silvienne 18/08/07
  50.   missle threat 10:38  |  old enough 18/08/07
  51.   #49, SILVIENNE, your poli`s have sold you out 11:39  |  VIPER 18/08/07
  52.   Deterrents 19:58  |  P. J. Casey 18/08/07
  53.   #51, Viper, you are absolutely correct... 01:44  |  Silvienne 19/08/07
  54.   #52, P.J. Casey...quite correct! 01:45  |  Silvienne 19/08/07
  55.   #53, silvienne, we know about the election fixing 05:07  |  VIPER 19/08/07
  56.   #55, Viper... 07:17  |  Silvienne 19/08/07
  57.   SILVIENNE, your welcomed here in oz land 14:27  |  VIPER 20/08/07
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