Syria has 1,000 ballistic missiles zeroed on Israeli targets

clipped from www.debka.com A colossal Iran-funded and directed armament program has enabled Syria to field 1,000 ballistic missiles and Hizballah 1,000 rockets - all pointed at specific Israeli military and civilian locations, including the densely populated conurbation around Tel Aviv, debkafile's military sources reveal. Syria has smuggled most of its stock of liquid-fuel powered ballistic missiles over to Hizballah in Lebanon, while its own production lines have been working day and night for five months to upgrade its stock solid fuel-propelled missiles, so improving their accuracy. North Korean military engineers and technicians are employed on those production lines. According to Western military sources, a command center for coordinating a missile offensive against military and civilian targets in Israel has been operating at Syrian general staff headquarters in Damascus since early March with the help of Iranian, Syrian, Hizballah and Hamas liaison officers.

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Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran

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With one side hell bent to try and destroy such a small nation, and a tiny nation willing to stand up for it's own protection. You would think more of the Governments world wide would do more to help. But instead it seems they would rather watch a full blown Nuclear attack be unleashed. It may be much closer than some would like to think about.

clipped from www.timesonline.co.uk Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline. The first has been sent in response to Israeli fears that ballistic missiles developed by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, a political and military organisation in Lebanon, could hit sites in Israel, including air bases and missile launchers. The submarines of Flotilla 7 — Dolphin, Tekuma and Leviathan — have visited the Gulf before. But the decision has now been taken to ensure a permanent presence of at least one of the vessels. The submarines could be used if Iran continues its programme to produce a nuclear bomb. “The 1,500km range of the submarines’ cruise missiles can reach any target in Iran,” said a navy officer. Apparently responding to the Israeli activity, an Iranian admiral said: “Anyone who wishes to do an evil act in the Persian Gulf will receive a forceful response from us.”

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UN report: Iran, Syria receiving North Korea nuclear technology

clipped from www.haaretz.com Report says Pyongyang continue to provide missiles, components to Iran as well as aiding Syria's nuclear despite UN sanctions.  North Korea is exporting nuclear and ballistic missile technology and using multiple intermediaries, shell companies and overseas criminal networks to circumvent U.N. sanctions, UN experts said in a report obtained by The Associated Press. The seven-member panel monitoring the implementation of sanctions against North Korea said its research indicates that Pyongyang is involved in banned nuclear and ballistic activities in Iran, Syria and Myanmar. It called for further study of these suspected activities and urged all countries to try to prevent them. The 47-page report, obtained late Thursday by AP, and a lengthy annex document sanctions violations reported by U.N. member states, including four cases involving arms exports and two seizures of luxury goods by Italy This may also include goods related to weapons of mass destruction and arms, it added.

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Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable missiles

clipped from en.rian.ru © RIA Novosti. Michail Fomichev | Buy this image Related News Pakistan to buy guided missile frigate from U.S. -TV Russia against developing military ties with Pakistan India, Pakistan swap lists of nuclear sites U.S. seeks closer military ties with India Pakistan has successfully tested two ballistic missiles capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, Pakistan News.Net reported the military as saying on Saturday. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the short-range Hatf III and medium-range Hatf IV were launched in the course of an annual field exercise by the Army Strategic Force Command. "Both missiles can carry conventional and nuclear warheads to a range of 290 km and 650 km, respectively," he said.

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NATO Unveils Draft of New Mission Statement

clipped from www.cnsnews.com Brussels (AP) - NATO must win the war in Afghanistan, expand ties with Russia, counter the threat posed by Iran's missiles, and assure the security of its 28 members, according to its new mission statement for the next decade. The draft document, released Monday, seeks to bridge a growing rift between the U.S., which favors a greater international role for NATO, and European nations that want it to retain its traditional defensive focus. The war is the largest mission ever attempted by the alliance. More than 100,000 NATO troops, about two-thirds of them Americans, are currently deployed there. Nearly 1,800 NATO soldiers have been killed in the escalating conflict. The new mission statement emphasized the threat posed by Iran's nascent ballistic missile capability.

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clipped from www.wired.com How To: Risk World War III, and Blow Billions Doing It The Pentagon’s plan to fire ballistic missiles at terrorists isn’t just a nuclear Armageddon risk. It’s a ludicrously expensive way to accidentally start World War III: each weapon could cost anywhere from a few hundred million to $1 billion. The Defense Department wants to spend about $240 million next year on the controversial “prompt global strike” project. Eventually, it could lead to weapons that could strike virtually anywhere in the planet within an hour or two. Official price tags are a little lower. The Air Force figures a single demonstration of such a missile might eat up $500 million. Follow-on weapons missiles might only cost $300 million apiece, (And maybe, as commenter “Almanac” notes, the Russian and Chinese radars are functioning well enough to tell the difference.) Maybe. But what happens other countries follow our lead, and start assembling their own conventional ballistic missile stockpiles?

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Pentagon Confident It Could Intercept an Iranian Missile

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clipped from www.foxnews.com The Pentagon is "very confident" that it could defend the United States against the threat of an Iranian ballistic missile strike, the Defense Department's chief spokesman said Wednesday. A recent Defense Department report to Congress concludes that Iran could develop a missile capable of striking the United States by 2015. Iran already has the largest deployed ballistic missile force in the Middle East, comprising about 1,000 missiles capable of hitting targets up to 1,200 miles (1930 kilometers) away, the report warns. The United States has 25 long-range interceptor missiles based in Alaska and California, as part of a system designed to defend the nation against an attack from North Korea or Iran. Eight of 14 tests of the interceptors have been successful, while the remaining tests suffered software glitches and other technical problems. But U.S. officials say the system should still work in the event of an attack.

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Russia to float out new nuclear sub on May 7

clipped from en.rian.ru "A floating out ceremony for Russia's new Severodvinsk nuclear submarine at the Sevmash shipyard has been scheduled for May 7," the official said. Graney-class nuclear submarines combine the ability to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles or 5,000 km) with nuclear warheads, and effectively engage submarines, surface warships and land-based targets. The submarine's armament includes 24 cruise missiles, including the 3M51 Alfa SLCM, the SS-NX-26 Oniks SLCM or the SS-N-21 Granat/Sampson SLCM. It will also have eight torpedo launchers, as well as mines and anti-ship missiles such as SS-N-16 Stallion. Russia's Navy commander, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, has said that the construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines was a top priority for the Russian Navy.

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Russian president approves new military doctrine

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clipped from en.rian.ru © RIA Novosti. | Buy this image Related News Baltic Fleet vs. Patriots? Russia`s Military Doctrine: Nukes as Most Weighty Argument in Strategic Deterrence Russia moves to ease concerns over new military doctrine Who should fear Russia’s new military doctrine? Russia's military doctrine to be presented to president by yearend Russia's new military doctrine allows pre-emptive nuclear strikes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved the country's new military doctrine which allows preventive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors. Russia's nuclear triad comprises land-based ballistic missile systems, nuclear-powered submarines equipped with sea-based ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers carrying nuclear bombs and nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The new military doctrine also aims to transform the Armed Forces into a more effective and mobile military force. Their structures will be "optimized" through the use of combined arms units performing similar tasks.

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India Successfully Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile

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clipped from newsmax.com India again successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable missile Sunday that can hit targets across much of Asia and the Middle East, a defense ministry press release said. It was the fourth test of the Agni III missile, the statement added. The first attempt in 2006 failed, but the last two tests were successful. "The Agni III missile tested for the full range, hit the target with pinpoint accuracy and met all the mission objectives," the press release added. India's current arsenal of missiles is largely intended for confronting archrival Pakistan. The Agni III, in contrast, is India's longest-range missile, designed to reach 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) — putting China's major cities well into range, as well as Middle Eastern targets. India's homegrown missile arsenal already includes the short-range Prithvi ballistic missile, the medium-range Akash, the anti-tank Nag and the supersonic Brahmos missile, developed jointly with Russia.

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Global Times - US-Taiwan missile deal irks Beijing

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• Global Times - US-Taiwan missile deal irks Beijing

  "By Kang Juan China made stern representations to the US Thursday after the Obama administration approved a sale of upgraded Patriot air-defense missile equipment to Taiwan. The decision was denounced by Chinese military scholars as a representation of US-style pragmatism and its long-term containment policy toward China. The US defense department announced the contract late on Wednesday, allowing Lockheed Martin Corp to sell an unspecified number of Patriots, said the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in the absence of formal ties, Reuters reported Thursday. Wendell Minnick, Asia bureau chief of Defense News, told Reuters that the sale rounds out a $6.5 billion arms package approved in late 2008, which included 330 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missiles worth up to $3.1 billion. "This is the last piece that Taiwan has been waiting on," Minnick said. Late last month, Raytheon, the world's largest missile maker, won contracts totaling $1.1 billion to produce the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for Taiwan, including ground-system hardware and spare parts. According to a Wednesday press release by the US Department of Defense on its website, the contract with Lockheed, awarded December 30, included "basic missile tooling upgrades, command and launch control tooling, spares and ground support equipment." The completion date of the work is estimated to be October 31, 2012. In a regular press conference in Beijing Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said China has urged the US to cancel any planned arms sales to Taiwan to avoid damaging its ties with Beijing. The PAC-3 missile is the world's "most advanced, capable and powerful theater air defense missile," which defeats tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and fixed and rotary winged aircraft, and significantly increases the Patriot system's firepower, Lockheed said on its website."

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