Opposition by Israeli military men to the sale of the state-of-the-art F-35 Stealth fighter jet to the UAE has been nearly unanimous. However, one important retired general thinks that even with that sale, there are other ways to preserve Israel’s “qualitative military edge” (QME). That story is here.
A historic normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates seemed to disappear from the headlines as soon as it was announced. Instead, the fear that the Gulf state may procure the world’s most advanced jet, rendering Israel’s qualitative military edge ineffective, has been the headline of the week.
Though Washington has been selling Abu Dhabi millions in military deals, it has been bound to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME) in the Middle East before selling any advanced weaponry to regional states.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has said that the normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel could allow the Gulf state to clinch unspecified new US arms sales, and the UAE, which is among the world’s biggest defense spenders, is currently in the process of building up its armed forces.
Abu Dhabi has made no secret that it is interested in purchasing the fifth-generation fighter jet. But Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, have drawn a hard line against the sale….
The UAE, some 2,648 kilometers away, has never actually been at war with Israel. The two countries – according to foreign reports – have been signing security and defense deals worth billions over recent years.
It’s true that the UAE “has never actually been at war with Israel.” But neither have Iran or Turkey, both states that were once firm allies of Israel and then became, with the overthrow of the Shah, and the political ascension of Erdogan, mortal enemies of the Jewish state.
Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Giora Eiland, former head of the National Security Council and the IDF Planning Directorate, told The Jerusalem Post that there is no deal in which one side gets everything that it wants.
“It’s like any other deal. You give up something and get something in return,” he said. “There is always some kind of price to pay.”…
But Maj.-Gen.(ret.) Giora Eiland should remember that Israel did “give up something” when it agreed to suspend the extension of Israeli sovereignty to part of the West Bank. That was a considerable concession by Prime Minister Netanyahu, one that infuriated the settlers’ movement. It should not be forgotten.
According to him, Netanyahu “did not have to pretend” that the clause was not part of the deal; rather, “he could have said that certain concessions were made. It is still something where the advantages of signing are much better than not.”
The F-35i Adir is heavily tailor-made to fit Israel’s own specifications and is embedded with Israeli-made electronic warfare pods as well as Israeli weaponry, all installed once the planes have landed in Israel.
Not all F-35s are created, or remain, equal. Israel’s F-35s are state-of-the-art plus, with Israel’s own modifications – electronic warfare pods and weaponry – installed once the planes are in Israel. As modified, they will remain much superior to the F-35s the UAE may someday receive.
Israel is also one of the few to be allowed to modify the advanced fighter, and at the beginning of the month received an experimental F-35 which will act as a test bed for the country’s planned modifications….
The ability to modify the jet might be one way to keep Israel’s QME. And purchasing other, more advanced, platforms from the US may also be an option….
In other words, Israel’s modified F-35s would be far more advanced than those that, after several years, end up being delivered to the Emirates. Is that enough to satisfy the need to protect Israel’s “qualitative military edge”? General Eiland seems to think so. Many other Israeli military men disagree.
Would more funds to Israel from Washington to pay for more American F-35s be enough to preserve Israel’s QME? Possibly.
The timing would be perfect, ahead of the US elections, which may remove Trump – viewed by Netanyahu as the president who has been the strongest supporter of Israel in years – from office.
Is Bibi in a rush to sign deals before he is gone? If so, one such option that would without a doubt maintain Israel’s superiority in the Middle East would be the F-22 Raptor, which is currently flown only by the US Air Force.3
The F-22 is an advanced tactical fighter aircraft developed for the USAF and is considered the first fifth-generation fighter after it entered service with the USAF in 2005.
Using low observable technologies and modern avionics, the F-22 has been designed to rapidly project air dominance with stealth and range. The supersonic jet can be armed with an M61A2 cannon, six AIM-120 AMRAAMs, two AIM-9 Sidewinders, two 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions and two AIM-120s.
Giora Eiland suggests that one way to preserve Israel’s QME is for the U.S. to allow Jerusalem to buy the F-22 Raptors that, until now, have only been available to the U.S. Air Force. But are more of these advanced aircraft what Israel most needs right now, given Iran’s nuclear project?
But maybe Israel doesn’t need aircraft to keep its QME. What about advanced heavy weaponry like the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator or the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB)?
The MOAB, nicknamed “Mother of All Bombs,” is considered the largest nonnuclear bomb in the USAF’s inventory and was used only once, against Islamic State terrorists, dropped on a deep tunnel complex in eastern Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.
Both bunker busters are in use only by the United States and would provide Israel with the ability to effectively destroy Iranian infrastructure deep underground.
This is perhaps General Eiland’s most persuasive suggestion as to how to preserve Israel’s QME. Both bunker busters are useful, but MOAB is exactly what the IAF needs to penetrate deep below the surface and destroy not only Iran’s huge weapons storehouses, but more importantly, that nuclear project that Iran is busily working on deep underground.
mortimer says
Agree with Mr. F. Israel’s biggest concern is Iran’s nuke program. Perhaps the F-22s could help deliver strikes on that program. Israel’s air force could use stealth bombers as well.
mortimer says
Turkey is gearing up to create big trouble for Israel. This sabre rattling should be noted by NATO countries and Europe. Turkey should be put on notice that it’s time to stop or face more sanctions.
RichardL says
I have trained with the UAE ‘special forces’. To call them a joke and incompetent would overrate them because they are not funny and they are so far off the competence chart that it is difficult to describe. The two LTC who ran the show probably needed help putting on their trousers. When they showed up to take part in a simulation that I ran, I told them to go back to the casino and their whores. They did. I was a major then.
gravenimage says
Thanks for that account, Richard. It does not surprise. Of course, Muslims don’t have to be very competent in order to cause harm to the civilized world.
Just Venting says
In most of these family run countries, if not all of them, rank and promotion have absolutely nothing to do with competence.
Advancement and promotion are primarily due to your relation to the ruling clique. Loyalty to the ruling clique is also critical.
A good way to be shown the way out is to demonstrate independent thought, creativity, and critical thinking. Those that display initiative and ability to respond quickly to a crisis are not wanted. They represent a danger to the ruling clique.
Typically, one does nothing unless an order comes from above. Disrupt control and communication and you disrupt the entire operation. There is no such thing as an OODA loop.
Perhaps we can send the F-35’s with the chinese made parts and then see how long they can stay airborne.
Frank Anderson says
I think someone is confused about the MOAB. It is a fuel-air bomb that uses the oxygen in the atmosphere to burn the fuel after it mixes to explosive proportion IN THE AIR. It is an air-burst weapon that does its work by concussion. It would do nothing to a target deep underground.
During WWII British genius Barnes Wallis designed 2 bombs*, the 12,000 pound Tall Boy and the 22,000 pound Grand Slam, which were used with remarkable success even though they were not guided after being dropped to the target. Later the US Air Force developed the T-44, a 44,000 pound bomb for even deeper penetration and more massive effects. A dummy of that bomb was, and may still be, at the entrance of the Air Force Armaments Museum in Florida. It would be fascinating to see what a T-44 equipped with a GPS or laser guidance system could do. The problem becomes finding an airplane that can carry it to the desired target and return with the crew.
The Germans really “missed the boat” in WWII by building huge cannon that fired similar weight shells to the large bombs. British bombers were far more flexible and had far greater effective range than the German artillery. For example, Gustav weighed 1500 tons. required a crew of more than a thousand men to fire a 15,000 pound shell about 25 miles or so. British Grand Slams were carried much easier and farther with greater results for lower cost, still doing well against the deepest and most reinforced underground structures.
*I am aware of his third design for the bouncing bomb that was used to destroy several German dams. That was a different application of his genius..
gravenimage says
Thanks, Frank.
gravenimage says
One Israeli General Who is Unworried by the F-35 Sale to the UAE (Part 1)
…………
I hope Major General Eiland is right that this presents no threat to Israel–but like so many of his colleagues, I am concerned.
Keys says
Agree, gi.
If relations sour in a year or two, then what ?
Even if the relationship does not sour one can imagine lots of deadly scenarios. The technology is shared with enemies (Turkey) for a “price”.
A “woke” muslim pilot flies an F-35 to a hostile country.
Pakistan secretly supplies a few nuclear “bombs”.
Does the USA have an F-44, or something ?
I wonder what Daniel Triplett thinks about this idea
Daniel Triplett says
I’m with you Keys. It’s a bad idea (see below).
gravenimage says
Good points, Keys and Daniel.
L Mayor says
Eiland belongs to a group of retired high brass and intel officials who are leftists and far leftists. It appears that this group still believes that offering major concessions to the arabs, including the perpetuation of the “land for peace” lunacy, is the way to achieve everlasting harmony between Israel and its arab enemies. Eiland and his ilk ratify Ann Coulter`s contention that “leftism is a mental illness”.
OLD GUY says
Can’t say I feel good about this deal. Supplying military tech. too Islam seems dangerous.
Whats the plan if the UAE backs out of the deal after they receive the F-35s. Seem to me the only winners in this deal is the company selling the F-35 aircraft.
Building up both sides in the Middle East is like pouring gasoline on a fire.
Daniel Triplett says
This is a bad idea to sell any arms to Islamic states, especially arms that give US military sumpremacy. Let’s stop going down this dangerous rabbit hole with these people, believing we can somehow buy their friendship and respect by giving them our weapons or land concessions. Understandably, since Iran threatens the Gulf states, and given the global strategic importance of the regional oil reserves (that thick black stuff we all need to survive), then we need to provide that stability for now, until we decapitate and castrate Iran. But we can provide that security ourselves without arming up the Muslim actors.
Likewise, everyone would benefit if Russia, China, and the US could mutually de-escalate the pissing match we’re having with each other through the Shia and Sunni state proxies. We must recognize we’re on the same side in the Kafir – Ummah war, so to that extent we must cooperate and win.
We’re carrying-on with this endless dickdance where we foolishly convince ourselves the Ummah really isn’t serious about the doctrine in the Koran and Sunnah compelling them to pursue our conversion, enslavement, and extermination. The last 1400 years prove in fact they are deadly serious about it, and they’ll never give up until the world is either 100% Islamic, or 0% Islamic.
UAE is in no position to be making demands of Israel and the US. We don’t need to sell them anything, nor make any concession at all. Instead, they can let us build, equip, and staff a stand-alone US air base on their soil, and we’ll install a permanent USAF Air Wing there under the sole command and control of the US. That’s a good deal strategically for everyone.
We’re getting so bogged down in the minutia of this arms sales shell game with the Muslims, that we’re missing the more important bigger picture entirely.
From the 30,000 foot strategic view, we need to think beyond the next 3 months. Let’s instead strategically envision where we’re headed over the next 300 years, how we want the world to look then, and what we can do now to achieve the desired outcome. Right now, only the Ummah has such strategic vision, and they’re very good at it. They’re winning this 1400 year war, and they know it. They have a patient and successful plan for victory. We don’t.
We can predict the next 1400 years by learning from the last 1400 years. It’s easy to see where this is all headed.
Some facts:
1. Islamic doctrine toward Kafirs is no secret. Anyone can read it. We know where they’re headed with this. They’ve been doing it for 1400 years.
2. Every Muslim is required to wage jihad until everyone on Earth submits to Allah. They’re deadly serious about this.
3. For every 2 Kafirs (particularly white, non-Hispanic) worldwide who die each day, only 1 is born.
4. At today’s birthrates, the native European Kafir population by 2300 will be just 5% of what it is today.
5. The Ummah birthrate worldwide is 5 to 8X the Kafir rate. The global Ummah population is exploding exponentially, surpassing Christians on Earth by 2050.
6. African Muslim population will grow from 1 Billion today to 4 Billion by 2100. At least 75% are expected to hijra to Europe.
7. Islam is sacrosanct in perfection and eternally immutable. It won’t change in 10 years or 10,000 years.
8. Islam can’t be reformed to eliminate the hostile doctrine against Kafirs.
9. Converting, enslaving, and exterminating Kafirs isn’t their choice. It’s their duty to their deity.
10. Unlike Westerners, Muslims don’t pledge fealty to the state or a central human authority. Instead they pledge fealty to a fictional deity and a dead man.
These facts are undeniable. We can’t isolate ourselves in the Alamo as the rest of the world collapses into Islam. People advocating for this strategy really need to think that one through across 300 years. And remember, everyone at the Alamo died.
We’re losing the global Islamic War – badly.
No amount of diplomacy or reason will talk them out of it. That’s been tried exhaustively and has never worked.
We need to sober up and recognize this as the war that it is. We only have two choices: win or lose. Tying and coexisting isn’t an option.
We need a strategy for victory on an epic global scale.
This is a zero-sum war, by their rules — either 100% Islamic, or 0% Islamic. Therefore, the only objective that ends the war and gives us victory is worldwide forced Islamic proscription (criminalization) – forced apostasy.
Our objective in war is to break the enemy’s “will to fight” quickly, forcing their surrender to our terms. Not by genocide, but instead by concentrating overwhelming violence and cruelty within a short time period, scaring the living daylights out of them (all of them, not just the mujahideen), destroying their hope vigor and morale – to break their will to fight — then we turn off the hurt.
Our grandfathers showed us how this works in WWII. They weren’t woke and stupid. We’ve learned lessons from all military history going all the way back to Sun Tzu.
Why not decide to win and start today?
Until we do, all we’re doing is kicking a much larger more lethal can of rattlesnakes down the road to our grandchildren, leaving them with more limited and desperate options to survive. Imagine if our grandfathers had sat on the bench while Hitler and Hirohito conquered the world.
OLD GUY says
I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve written!!!!!
gravenimage says
Fine post, Daniel. Thank you.