Fwd: US to Sell Israel Air Force 1,000 Bunker-Buster Bombs

http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
U.S. to sell Israel Air Force 1,000 bunker-buster bombs 14 Sep 2008
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.

Congress notified of bunker buster sale to Israel 14 Sep 2008 The US
Department of Defense has notified Congress of a potential sale to
Israel of 1,000 smart bombs capable of penetrating underground
bunkers, which would likely be used in the event of a military strike
on Iran's nuclear facilities. The notification to Congress was made
over the weekend by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the
branch of the Pentagon responsible for evaluating foreign military
sales. The deal is valued at $77 million and the principal contractor
would be Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1020702.html

Last update - 21:27 14/09/2008

U.S. to sell IAF smart bombs for heavily fortified
targets

By Aluf Benn and Amos Harel

Tags: Iran, United States

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.
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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.