Xinhua Report: Israel's spy planes employed in attack on Syria's nuclear reactor

A surveillance squadron that acts as the "eyes and ears" for long-range strategic missions is among the Israeli Air Force's inner sanctums, accessible to few and guarded by many.

The Gulfstream G550, a business jet mainly designed to accommodate corporate executives and private businessmen and heavily reconfigured to carry cutting-edge electronic-intelligence gathering technology, has participated in the IAF's bombing of a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007, as well as other clandestine missions conducted far from Israel's borders in recent years, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports in its latest edition.

The "Nachshon" squadron, deployed at the southern Nevatim air base, reportedly operates three "Eitam" AEW (airborne early warning) aircraft fitted with the EL/W-2085 multi-sensor suite, ELINT (electronic intelligence) measures, gear that enables to differentiate between friend and foe and other state-of-the-art features.

It also operates two of the aircraft's second version: the " Shavit" ELINT, also dubbed SEMA (Special Electronic Missions Aircraft) used for communications jamming and other electronic warfare roles.

Elta Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)' radar and electronic warfare subsidiary, develops and manufactures both variants. IAI, a Gulfstream partner, also assembles the G550's civilian version.

According to Aviation Week, the Eitam aircraft, also called CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) by the U.S. firm, are used as airborne command and control stations on long-range intelligence-gathering and attack missions, processing data received from unmanned drones, fighter jets and other means, and eavesdropping on the enemy's communications networks.

The ELINT-configured Shavit craft are even more secretive, packed with sensors that enable to identify and track any hostile airborne target, and pick up ground-to-air communications.

"We not only know where the bad guys are, but exactly what they are talking about," a senior IAI executive told Aviation Week.

The American weekly joins an array of international media outlets that have credited Israel with bombing the Syrian nuclear reactor. The Eitam and Shavit planes were used in that strike, as well as airstrikes that targeted convoys ferrying arms from Sudan to militants in the Gaza Strip, it said.

Another IAI executive who spoke with Aviation Weekly dismissed claims, made in the wake of the reactor bombing, that Syrian air defenses were disrupted with "powerful energy rays" beamed from the aircraft, which enabled the raiding party to successfully carry out their mission without encountering resistance.

While he did not comment on Israel's presumed involvement in attacking the reactor, the executive said, "This plane isn't a weapon, we're not in the business of shooting powerful microwave rays."

According to Aviation Week, the need to receive and transmit a bulk of data makes the Eitam vulnerable to electronic jamming. To overcome that obstacle, the onboard crew employ "varied radio frequencies" and "a precise and narrow" broadcasting ray that is hard to locate.

Apart from the technology it packs, transforming the G550 into a spy plane embodied critical financial considerations. A single flight hour in the Eitam and Shavit reportedly costs a quarter of that of larger AEW aircraft, such as the Douglas DC-3 and Boeing 707 that the IAF has used for similar missions over many years.

No less important, the G550 flies faster, higher and longer. According to the manufacturer's official performance chart, the jet, which was released to the civilian market in 2003, has a range of 12,500 km (6,750 nm) and an endurance of 10 hours. The military version has an extended service ceiling of 51,000 ft ( compared to 35,000 ft in the civil version), a surveillance range of 450 km, consumes less fuel and carries 10 to 12 operators.

Deals to export the AEW-configured G550 have reportedly already surpassed 2 billion U.S. dollars.

Earlier this year, Singapore showcased the four aircraft it purchased from IAI, Italy is expected to take delivery of two aircraft in the next two years at a cost of 750 million dollars, which includes logistical support, and India is reportedly negotiating the purchase of two or three additional aircraft for its air force.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - 17 December 2012

Photo: The Israeli Air Force Gulfstream G550 CAEW Eitam (Sea-Eagle) Aircraft (Photo by files)


(17.12.2012)