October 8,
2008: Israel recently constructed two
1,300 foot (400 meter) antenna towers next to its nuclear weapons development
facility at Dimona. Israel expects this to be a major target of any Iranian
attack, partly because it is out in the desert and such action is unlikely to
kill any Israeli Moslems. The government won't say what the towers are for, but
insists they are not for an offensive weapon. There is speculation that the
towers are part of some new sensor system. If so, the two towers would be the
largest ever built for such purposes.
Israel has
been determined to establish the best possible defenses against Iranian
ballistic missiles. This includes a recently installed American "X-Band
Radar," a system similar to the
radars used in Aegis anti-aircraft systems on U.S. Navy ships. This technology
uses thousands of small radar transmitters to get detailed information on
objects out there, and many objects at once. The missile detection radar has,
in addition, the ability to see activity at long distances (in some cases, up to
5,000 kilometers out.) This missile detection radar can not only see a missile
being launched, but it can tell the difference between decoys, and real
warheads, after the missile has exited the atmosphere and sent its payload
plunging back to earth.
But many
Israelis officials are not happy about this American X-Band radar, because it
is on loan and manned by U.S. personnel. This means the U.S. has a record of
all air activity over most of Israel. Apparently there are things up there that
some Israelis would prefer to keep secret, along with what the two Dimona
towers are for.
