Mighty_Zuk Posted January 5 Posted January 5 I raised this issue a few weeks ago me-thinks. IAF has suddenly started posting a lot of pics of aircraft toting the Rampage light ALBM. At first I thought this was a veiled threat to the Houthis and Iraqis, but it's reportedly used in Syria. Such reports existed for several years, it's not new. There's also a constant supply of these pics now. This suggests to me that not only are they a threatening message, but perhaps the IAF sees them as the affordable option for certain scenarios. Even though Syria is now devoid of air defenses, it is perhaps cheaper overall for the IAF to launch a Rampage from above Israeli airspace, instead of flying all the way to a target and dropping a $25k JDAM. I'm also curious about what the UK's thinking about this. They're a key customer of Elbit, and there was a report back in 2023 that the UK's interested in the Rampage as a Storm Shadow substitute as SS stocks are directed toward Ukraine, and the emerging reality of cheap CMs and ALBMs as overall superior to exquisite CMs (remains to be seen, but we see indications).
TrustMe Posted January 6 Posted January 6 17 hours ago, Mighty_Zuk said: I raised this issue a few weeks ago me-thinks. IAF has suddenly started posting a lot of pics of aircraft toting the Rampage light ALBM. At first I thought this was a veiled threat to the Houthis and Iraqis, but it's reportedly used in Syria. Such reports existed for several years, it's not new. There's also a constant supply of these pics now. This suggests to me that not only are they a threatening message, but perhaps the IAF sees them as the affordable option for certain scenarios. Even though Syria is now devoid of air defenses, it is perhaps cheaper overall for the IAF to launch a Rampage from above Israeli airspace, instead of flying all the way to a target and dropping a $25k JDAM. I'm also curious about what the UK's thinking about this. They're a key customer of Elbit, and there was a report back in 2023 that the UK's interested in the Rampage as a Storm Shadow substitute as SS stocks are directed toward Ukraine, and the emerging reality of cheap CMs and ALBMs as overall superior to exquisite CMs (remains to be seen, but we see indications). I think a joint French/UK StormShadow succesor will hapen. It's important for the EF2000 to have native weapons to encourage further sales to say Arab states that Israel would never sell to.
Mighty_Zuk Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 52 minutes ago, TrustMe said: I think a joint French/UK StormShadow succesor will hapen. It's important for the EF2000 to have native weapons to encourage further sales to say Arab states that Israel would never sell to. Sure, I hope they'll develop more weapons and buy in quantities. But an SS replacement is still something distant, and Rampage exists now and doing the work. One must ask what the UK has in January 2025 to defend itself against a peer foe and strike thousands of deep targets in the first week of operations. By the way, Israel does sell weapons to Arab states. Drones, air defenses, and one might assume munitions aren't a taboo. It's not the 60's anymore.
TrustMe Posted January 6 Posted January 6 (edited) 3 hours ago, Mighty_Zuk said: Sure, I hope they'll develop more weapons and buy in quantities. But an SS replacement is still something distant, and Rampage exists now and doing the work. One must ask what the UK has in January 2025 to defend itself against a peer foe and strike thousands of deep targets in the first week of operations. By the way, Israel does sell weapons to Arab states. Drones, air defenses, and one might assume munitions aren't a taboo. It's not the 60's anymore. At the moment in European NATO only the Polish are gearing up for war. As for the UK we have so much debt and massive taxiation that further military buildups are impossible. I do know about some things that Israel exports to Arab states. For example Isreal upgraded Moroccan F5E's. But i'm sure that a lot of Arab states would be unwise to buy Israeli as it makes a cyber attack too risky. Just look at all those pagers that exploded in Lebanon for example. Edited January 6 by TrustMe
Mighty_Zuk Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 Just now, TrustMe said: I do know about some things that Israel exports to Arab states. For example Isreal upgraded Moroccan F5E's. But i'm sure that a lot of Arab states would be unwise to buy Israeli as it makes a cyber attack too risky. Just look at all those pagers that exploded in Lebanon. If the pagers are an indication, then buying arms from anyone, including oneself, is risky. Just because Israel deployed it in a publicized manner, doesn't mean it's the only one doing such things. Every intelligence agency worth its weight is doing such ops.
TrustMe Posted January 6 Posted January 6 1 minute ago, Mighty_Zuk said: ...If the pagers are an indication, then buying arms from anyone, including oneself, is risky..... True.
bojan Posted January 6 Posted January 6 18 minutes ago, Mighty_Zuk said: If the pagers are an indication, then buying arms from anyone, including oneself, is risky. Just because Israel deployed it in a publicized manner, doesn't mean it's the only one doing such things. Every intelligence agency worth its weight is doing such ops. Any military equipment manufacturer that is compromised in such way can safely dissolve itself, none is going to buy from them anymore.
Mighty_Zuk Posted January 6 Author Posted January 6 8 minutes ago, bojan said: Any military equipment manufacturer that is compromised in such way can safely dissolve itself, none is going to buy from them anymore. Sure. But that's related how exactly?
lucklucky Posted January 6 Posted January 6 6 hours ago, TrustMe said: At the moment in European NATO only the Polish are gearing up for war. As for the UK we have so much debt and massive taxiation that further military buildups are impossible. I do know about some things that Israel exports to Arab states. For example Isreal upgraded Moroccan F5E's. But i'm sure that a lot of Arab states would be unwise to buy Israeli as it makes a cyber attack too risky. Just look at all those pagers that exploded in Lebanon for example. Of course they are possible, UK have massive spending. Just stop spending in political economy.
TrustMe Posted January 7 Posted January 7 22 hours ago, lucklucky said: Of course they are possible, UK have massive spending. Just stop spending in political economy. The economy is in such a state becase of a lack of funding by the old Conservative govenmen on a massive scale. Then we got hit by Brexit, Covid and now Ukraine all coming at once has really destroyed the economy. When we goto a recession which it looks like were in one it will be worse still.
lucklucky Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Lack of funding!? so instead of massive taxation you want mega-massive taxation? The problem is the same, conservatives - which conserve nothing - are Labour lite. All Fabian lovers of Giant State. Only difference is Labour would destroy the economy faster than Conservatives.
TrustMe Posted January 7 Posted January 7 43 minutes ago, lucklucky said: ...Only difference is Labour would destroy the economy faster than Conservatives.... If you want to read about how great the Conservatives are good for the economy read the following link ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_2022_United_Kingdom_mini-budget
Dawes Posted January 14 Posted January 14 Israel's F-16's always did have one of the more attractive camo schemes.
Mighty_Zuk Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 2 hours ago, Dawes said: Israel's F-16's always did have one of the more attractive camo schemes. I dream of a desert camo F-35.
TrustMe Posted January 14 Posted January 14 Their F16I's. I wonder how far they can go before aerial refueling?
Mighty_Zuk Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 1 hour ago, TrustMe said: Their F16I's. I wonder how far they can go before aerial refueling? 3 external tanks and aerial refueling to release a couple ALBMs into Yemen.
TrustMe Posted January 14 Posted January 14 2 hours ago, Mighty_Zuk said: 3 external tanks and aerial refueling to release a couple ALBMs into Yemen. If nothing else I guess it's good training for raids against Iran.
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