Since 1967, Israel has given to the Pentagon Soviet military equipment captured in conflicts with Soviet-supported Arab countries, providing important data. Israel gave the US a full squadron of MiG-21s which was called the “Top Gun” squadron and used by the U.S. Air Force and Navy for training purposes.
Wrong. Top Gun is the old name for the Navy Fighter Weapons School. Top Gun no longer exists. It was incorporated into Strike U some years ago. It flew the F-5E and F-5F, and the A-4M, among other aggressor planes. VF-126, in the hangar next to Top Gun's hangar at Miramar, also didn't fly MiG 21. IIRC, VF-43 on the East Coast used to fly Israeli Kfirs in the 80's, as aggressors. Don't remember if Top Gun did or not. F-5E was used as it had a very similar flight envelop and small visual signature, very comparable to the MiG 21. Top Gun flew F-16N as aggresors for a while. There were indeed US exploitation of MiGs from the Israelis captures, yes, but IIRC, that was at Red Flag/Nellis, and elsewhere NOT at the major fighter concentration in San Diego. Memory is fuzzy on that one. Don't recall if MiGs were ever stationed at Fallon, which was in some ways comparable to Red Flag in its use of captured equipment back in the day.
In 1970, Israel forced the withdrawal of the Syrian army from US-ally Jordan while the U.S. was involved militarily in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, helping to prevent the collapse of a pro-American government and the installation of a pro-Soviet regime.
Worth looking up, had not heard that one before.
In the 1973 War, Israel defeated Soviet-trained and equipped Egyptian and Syrian armies. Israel shared captured Soviet equipment with the US. Israel emerged the one reliable ally where U.S. troops could land, where U.S. equipment can be pre-positioned and where the U.S. has friendly port facilities, saving the US billions of dollars.
First two sentences true. Remaining sentences False. US has an ally, ports availability, and and equimpent in Turkey, for example, and has access to ports all over the Med.
In 1982, Israel destroyed Soviet anti-aircraft systems in Lebanon that were considered impenetrable by American weapons. Israel shared with the US insights from the conflict, estimated to be worth billions of dollars.
No, not considered impenetrable by the US. That is a bald lie. Also, Israelis shot down about 80 Russian and French built ACFT from Syrian Air Force using US built/provided F-15 and F-16.
Senator Daniel Inouye has stated that Israeli data on the Soviet military has saved the U.S. billions of dollars and that the contribution made by Israeli intelligence to America exceeds information provided by all NATO countries combined.
The last part of that is of dubious merit. Intel sharing has been handy, no question.
In 1981, Israel bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, stalling Saddam Hussein’s nuclear capabilities and allowing the U.S. to engage in conventional warfare with Iraq in 1991 and 2003.
First half factually accurate, second half a load of horse crap.
Israel has provided critical analysis of the F16 to General Dynamics that resulted in 600 improvements, including structural enhancements, software changes, increased capability landing gear, radio improvements and avionic modifications.
Iraelis were not the only people who provided feedback on the F-16, all of our users, and allies, did. That's a very tall claim. Very tall.
In the Gulf War, Israel provided the US with key intelligence, air cover for military cargo and had IDF stationed in the Iraqi desert to rescue downed American pilots.
That last bit smells of a lie, the first bit I believe, air cover for cargo too vague to ascertain validity of.
The IDF was the sole military force in the region that could successfully challenge the Iraqi army. That fact, which Saddam Hussein understood, was a deterrent to further Iraqi aggression.
The Kuwaitis disagree, I suspect, with that line of thought.
The US military benefited from the use of Israeli-made Have Nap air-launched missiles on its B-52 bombers. The Navy used Israeli Pioneer pilotless drones for reconnaissance in the Gulf.
One of those sounds correct. Care to tell us which operations Have Nap was deployed in?
Israel provided mine plows that were used to clear paths for Allied forces through Iraqi minefields.
Source that. Which allies?
Mobile bridges flown directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia were used by the U.S. Marine Corps
Source that.
Israel Aircraft Industries developed conformal fuel tanks that enhanced the range of F15 aircraft used in the Gulf War.
Conformal fuel tanks well predated Gulf War, that one I recall the Israelis being involved in, but is a few decades old in that part of memory. Don't remember whose bright idea it first was.
An Israeli-produced targeting system was used to increase the Cobra helicopter's night-fighting capabilities.
Funny, so did the US.
Israel manufactured the canister for the highly successful Tomahawk missile.
Which one?
Night-vision goggles used by U.S. forces were supplied by Israel.
Which models, what years? Source this statement.
A low-altitude warning system produced and developed in Israel was utilized on Blackhawk helicopters.
There was already one in the Blackhawk before the ISraeli bought the helicopter. It is called RAWS. We had them in H-2's also.
Israel offered the United States the use of military and hospital facilities. U.S. ships utilized Haifa port shipyard maintenance and support on their way to the Gulf.
That was not new, such had been going of for some time. I pulled into Haifa in the mid 80's.
General George Keegan, former head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence, has stated that “Israel is worth five CIA’s.” He said that between 1974 and 1990, Israel received $18.3 billion in U.S. military grants, but, that in the same timeframe Israel provided the U.S. with $50-$80 billion in intelligence, research and development savings and Soviet weapons systems given to the U.S.
Keegan understates the value of the CIA, since all he had was an interest in military intelligence. Standard parochial tripe from the USAF. See above, Israeli intel sharing has been most handy, no question.
Israel shares with the US important experience in homeland defense and warfare against suicide bombers and car bombs.
Too bad they don't share that info with Iraqis, people who could use the info -- don't you think?
The IDF sent urban warfare specialists to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the home of US special forces, and Israeli military consultants have also visited Iraq.
RIngs a bell.
The US Army also travelled to Israel to glean lessons learned from their counterterrorist operations in urban areas. The IDF regularly shared its experience in the West Bank and Gaza with the US armed forces. The Pentagon regularly asked the IDF to debrief on operations similar to those engaged in by US military forces.
Sounds familiar.
The U.S. sailed an aircraft carrier, the Harry Truman, into the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft allowed U.S. planes to reach Iraqi targets by flying over Israeli and Jordanian territory. Israel has permitted the use of its air zones.
That's air space.
In contrast to US commitments to Korea, Japan, Germany and numerous other countries in which the US has over 100 military bases, the US has no military bases in Israel.
So what?
Former Secretary of State and NATO forces Commander Alexander Haig has said that he is pro-Israeli because Israel is "the largest American aircraft carrier in the world that cannot be sunk, does not carry even one American soldier, and is located in a critical region for American national security"
You would have me belive that Alexander Haig, an Army pogue, doesn't get Aircraft Carriers, whose major advantage is mobility. Israel isn't mobile. It also is not used to base USN and USAF tactical aircraft. That little snippet is one of the stupidest things I have seen attributed to Alexander Haig, a former NATO commander, and I very much doubt he said that. If he did, he's not as smart as I thought he was.
DR
