ISRAEL REPORTED ABLE TO BUILD OWN JETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000300030004-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2000
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: June 2, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2090 8 IA-RDP73BO0296R000300030004-2
B
Miami i:crcld?ChiC co Daily li~e,s Was
PARIS -- Israel has the
technical capability to build
its own Phantom jet fighters
if the United States decieoci
to stop supplying Israel with
airplanes and parts, Israeli
aviation industry sources
said hero.
They replied with carefully
hedged answers to questions
after Israeli Defense Minister
Moshe Dayan in Jerusalem
called attention to the possi-
bility of an approaching
slowdown in U.S. arms sup-
plies.
Other sources said Wasi)-
in ton has taken no action
yet to renew or, extend weap-
ons contracts with Israel, ai-
thouh existing contracts
will be complted in July.
"I believe we may soon
find it very difficult to re-
ceive more military supplies
from the United States,"
L)ayan said. `The Americans
now }.Fish to appear before
the Arab world as a nation
that does not channel large
quantities of weapons to Is-
rae1.'
Air Snow, the Isracin aviation
industry sources pointed out
that it is far more economical
for Israel to 'buy Phantoms
and o li e r sophisticated
weapons from the United
States than to set up a:ssen]-
bly lines for the relatively
smai! numbers requires. by
the Israeli Air Force.
Costs per plane are Or
lower for the United States
in view of its own large-scale
needs and its position as sup-
plier to a number of other
countries.
But if cost were not a fi~c-
tor, israei's factories could
produce the funerican r:'ar
p;aane just as thay kepi: the
French Mir ge fighters in the
air long after the 1537 cutoff
by French President C:hs.ries
de Gaulle.
iSi A;?,D is rep resented or
the first time at this year's
Paris Air Show, trill its I(,-
passenger Cor modore 1123
jot and the A:? ava, a shoe
takeof. and-innding propeller
plane primarily for carrying
freight.
Both are made by Israel
Aircraft Industries, vl,ich
also makes spare parts -,o
keep ti :c Israeli Air Force fly-
ing,' S. N. Ariav, generai
;]ani.gcr of aircraft manufac-
turing, said.
The con-ipany also snakes
the Gabriel naval missile and
has both military and civilian
QUIPS T IONNE_. at the Paris , a v i a t i o n ground-support
manufacturing contracts, in-
cluding one for bomb-l,an-
dling equipment.
ON THE civilian side, it
subcon~racts to r akee parts
for some European planes.
"We have all the tcchaICio-
gy on the latest state: of the
art." .Ariav said. "Our niain-
tcnance division (Bedek Avi-
ation) overhauls engines on
eve; ything frc;m Piper Cubs
to Boeing 707 transports."
He saki his "boys" fre-
quently can turn out spare
parts cheaper than the Orio-
nal item. They are also good
at tooling up in a hurry on
new designs.
"You give us a technical
drawing, and we can make
he part or we can make the
design from sketches and
photo raphs," Ariav said.
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000300030004-2
 Y v Approved For Release 200 8 :1 = dPY d'0296R000300030004-2
.19 MAY 171
By CHAPMAN PINCHER
London Express Service.
LONDON-The Russians are building special
facilities in Egypt for the storage and servic-
ing of nuclear weapons, according to Intelli-
gence reports.
These facilities, located In Red air force
abases near Cairo from which all Egyptians are
excluded, are not intended for use against Is-
rael. They are part of the permanent build-up
of Russian air power. in Egypt to counter the
U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean and
,weaken the southern flank of NATO.
AIRCRAFT
This development Is to be discussed by the
NATO nuclear planning group which meets In
Germany next week.
The nuclear weapons, which would be oper-
ated by Russian aircraft from Egypt, would
not normally be stored there because they can
be flown in from Soviet-bases on the Black Sea
within a few hours.
But coniplex facilities where the temperatue
and humidity can be controlled are essential
for even the temporary storage of nuclear
weapons on airfields. Special handling ar-
rangements for fusing and arming the weap-
ons are also necessary.
The simulated movement of nuclear explosive
Into Egypt by Antonov transport aircraft has
already been practiced, intelligence reports
claim.
PERMISSION
It is possible that this new Russian glove
was a contributory factor in last wek's sack-
Ing of some of Egypt's pro-Russian military
leaders. Intelligence sources suspect that the
Russians did not secure President Sadat's per-
mission for the storage o fnuclear weapons on
Egyptian soil.
Such storage does not contravene the nu-
clear non-profiliferation treaty which Russia
has signed, as long as the weapons remain
firmly in Soviet hands. Britain has similar nu-
Blear facilities in Cyprus, as has the United
States in Europe.
In Cairo the government banned all demon-
strations as Mr. Sadat briefed his new 33-
member cabinet "on their responsibilities.
The official newspaper Al Abram said the
president will also go before the national as-
sembly today to discuss the "broad lines of the
new permanent constitution."
ems, Q ` . T \V/ V
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000300030004-2
 rA;k
lT/,TTY 71 V .. ;" mTerc c
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 CIARDP73B00296R000300030004-2
I I MAY t3/i
By DREW MIDDLETON
Sprotal to The New York Tita^a
CAIRO, May 6-The Soviet
(Union, according to the best
qualified neutral sources, has
provided Egypt with strong air
defenses, but not with the
'weapons and training requir d
for a major offensive against
Israel across the Suez Canal.
Military attacih,3 at neutral
embassies believe that, if is-
rael wished to pay the price,
some of her Phantom fighter-
bombers could get through the
radar screen at low level. But
they think, the price of a steady
air offensive would be close to
prohibitive.
Israel's air defense, never se-
riously tested, is believed to be
good and. her offensive capaci-
ty sufficient for hit-and-run at-
tacks. Extensive Soviet rein-
forcement, however, would in-
hibit resumption of the large-
scale air attacks of 1970.
Informed estimates of Soviet
strength in Egypt are 200 pilots,
15,000 liken in missile crews
and 4,000 military advisers.
There are more than 85 Soviet-
manned SAM-3 missile sites,
each with four launchers.
In modern war, one source
said, 200 pilots, most of them
without combat experience, are
just not enough for the offen-
sive. "A lot of them are rotated
through for training. The time
to worry is when they up the
number to 500 or more and
keep them here," the source
added.
Plane Superior to Phantom
Soviet manned aircraft in-
clude 150 MIG-21's, 25 Sukhol-
11's and 12 MIG-23's. The lat-
ter, whose North Atlantic Trea-
ty Organization code name is
Foxbat, has a speed of three
times that of sound and ceil-
ing of 80,00D feet. It is su-
a _ g Ciiycnidis
d'cd,~d a ,
byRc v ikti :l L s s~
D .L41 S: 7 .' Q ...?sr;lam
I)3Y11,ti71
perior to the Phantom, the best
Israeli fighter, In these rasaects.
The Soviet air defense of
Egypt is now comprehensive-
extending from Alexandria in
the north to Aswan, site of the
Soviet-built DA.M, in the south.
In addition to more than 85
missile sites, equipped with
SAM-3 missiles, which re the
most effective against low-fly-
ing attacks, the Soviet Air
Force controls six airfields.
These are at Aswan, Beni
Suef, south of Cal o, Cairo
West, Inshas, east of Cairo,
Mansura, and Giyanklis, south
of Alexandria.
The Egyptian Air Force's
main bases are along the Red
Sea and the Gulf of Suez and
in the strategic area between
the Nile River and the Suez
Canal.
Although the Russians give
the orders and run the elec-
tronic equipment, air defense is
in theory a joint command.
Neutral experts consider that
the discrepancy in training be-
tween the Soviet and Egyptian
Air Forces impedes efficiency.
The Egyptian Air Force, ac-
cording to one observer, till
suffers from poor maintenance,
a shortage of pilots, and above
all, a lack of offensive spirit.
Although, for the last six
months, the main Soviet mili-
tary effort in Egypt has been
the establishment of a strong
air dafensc, the joint military
effort has teen strengthened'
in other resaects.
After establishin a small
naval base ?t Mersa Mrtiuh
on the Mediterranean 170
miles northwest of Criro, the
]cuss a.ns. are now dredging the
hart-'_ at S :iu m sti:l farther
west. Salt/ a was used as a
port by tt:e British Navy in
World War 11.
The esta.:ebshment of Soviet
bases at these two ports,
sources painted out, would
give the Stvi-t naval squadron
in the M?_lherranean .greater
operational flexibility in the
event that its aiain bases, Port
Said and Alexandria, were un-
usabl,~ in ar e.nergency.
Army TrJTng Continues
Training U the Egyptian
Army, esp?ck:liy the seven di-
visions in the area between
the Nile and the Suez Canal,
has centinu A.
Visitors 1,i Cairo hear many
reports of r-iken-down equip-
ment, haphas:ird military con-
voys and the like. However,;
both the r.;e:: -and equipment
observed on a recent visit to
the canal, s ionsored by the
Egyptian Gr:v.rnment, appeared
in better sl al-?e than those ob-
served on a similar trip 15
months ago.
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000300030004-2
 Approved For Release 2000/097a~tIATM 13BOO296R000300030004-2
5P4YL71
By THOMAS B. ROSS
Chicago Sun?Timc, Service
The Soviet Union has deployed
its most advanced antiaircraft
missile, the SAS, in Egypt, Push-
ing the Middle East closer to
another flash point.
U.S.intelligence,itwas
learned yesterday, recently de-
tected the SA3 near the Aswan
Dam and at several Soviet air-
fields in the interior of Egypt.
If the Russians follow previous
practice and move the SA6 up to
the Suez Canal, the low-altitude
missile could close the gap in
Egypt's air defense.
That could embolden the
wary about any withdrawal
from Arab territory captured in
the 1937 war. Last summer, Rus-.
sign SA2 and SA3 missiles were
moved into the Suez zone tinder
cover of Rogers' cease-fire plan.
Subsequently, the Israelis are
kn)wn to have devised. a method
for eluding the SA2, a high-
altitude missile, and the SA3, a
medium to low altitude missile.
Egyptians to launch a major pu
nitive raid to induce the Israelis
to accept Cairo's political terms
for a withdrawal from the Sinai
Peninsula. Or it could provike,
Israel to launch another preemp-~
tive strike before its air force is
neutralized and its advanced po-
sitions along the ca.,-,,al are put in!
In addition to the SAC), it is
officially estimated that the
Russians have sent more than
100 MIG-21 jets to Egypt this
year. Three MMIG-23s, the best
Russian interceptor and a plane:
that has never been stationed'
outside the Soviet Union before,'
also have been spotted in Egypt.'
Detection of the new weapons,
particularly the SA6, has given
added urgendy to Secretary of,
State William P. Rogers' effort
to produce an interim settlement
by reopening the canal.
The SA6 deployment is sure to
Imake the Israelis even morel
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000300030004-2