Tags: Barak 8 interceptor Israel Turkey
Israel
has turned down several Turkish requests for advanced military
hardware, according to Israeli and Western intelligence sources.
Sources in Ankara say that the impact from Prime minister Tayyep Recep Erdogan's alignment with Syria and Iran and poisonous attacks on Israel
is beginning to cut into the Turkish army's operational capabilities.
In recent weeks, Turkish naval chiefs tried to find out in particular
if Israel would be
willing to sell the Barak 8 missile interceptor, whose radar provides
360-degree coverage against incoming missiles or air attack, and which
was developed in partnership with India.
Security sources told debkafile that it was decided in Jerusalem
not to sell, in case Erdogan decided to allow Iranian military
intelligence experts to study the Barak-8 and analyze its technology.
This interceptor is a key defensive component for the Israeli missile
and warships patrolling the Persian Gulf seas opposite Iran, the Red Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean opposite Syrian and Lebanese shores.
As debkafile
revealed exclusively last November, the Turkish Prime minister and
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed a secret military pact on
Oct. 28, 2009, requiring Turkey's military intelligence, its air force
and navy to help Iran repel a possible Israeli attack on its nuclear
facilities. It included a provision for the sharing of any data and
technology on Israeli weapons systems in Turkish possession, which the
IDF might use for a potential strike. Click here for article.
Since that pact was signed, Israel has cut off all advanced weapons supplies to the Turkish armed forces. India too is flatly against letting Turkey getting hold of the Barak 8, in whose development the Indian Navy has invested $330 million since the program began in 2004. New Delhi fears that from Turkey, the technology might leak to Tehran, which India fears is capable of trading its secrets with Islamabad for Pakistani nuclear and missile technology.
Six months ago, India and Israel
signed a $1.1 billion contract for the purchase of the interceptor and
its installation on most of its navy's warships. The system, complete
with launchers, radar and installation sells for $24 million.
The
Barak 8 provides warships with all-weather, day-and-night, 360 degrees
coverage and is capable of intercepting incoming missiles when they are
no more than 500 meters away from target.