Eyes on Iran, Israel launches new spy satellite http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL11678080
Mon Jun 11, 2007
(Adds details, quotes)
By Dan Williams
JERUSALEM, June 11 (Reuters) - Israel launched a new spy satellite on Monday and said it would provide high-quality surveillance over enemies such as Syria and Iran, rivalling the capabilities of the United States.
Rocketed into orbit from a coastal Israeli air base, the Ofek 7 was expected to begin relaying high-resolution ground photographs from an altitude of 200-500 km (125-315 miles) by the end of the week. "The successful launch adds an important layer to Israel's defence capabilities and it is a testament to Israel's technological strength," Defence Minister Amir Peretz said in a statement.
Haim Eshed, head of the Defence Ministry's space directorate, told Army Radio that Ofek 7 would help Israel "deal with the Iranian issue". Iran's nuclear programme has raised fears in the West, though Tehran denies it wants nuclear bombs.
Israel is also monitoring neighbouring Syria for signs of a military build-up following last year's war against the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group, an ally of Damascus.
The Ofek 7 was produced by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) under pressure to replace the Ofek 6, which was lost in a 2004 launch malfunction. The previous satellite in the series, Ofek 5, has been in orbit since 2002 and will soon be out of commission.
Isaac Ben-Israel, director of the Israel Space Agency, said Ofek 7 combined compactness -- at 300 kg (660 lb) -- with advanced cameras that can photograph objects "just a few centimetres in size".
"It is the only satellite in the world with this kind of weight and performance. This standard is only available on the heavy American satellites," Ben-Israel told Army Radio.
U.S. CONNECTION
He predicted that the Ofek 7 would boost intelligence-sharing between Israel and its U.S. ally.
"There is no country in the world that can know everything alone. If you have something they don't have, or if they have something you don't, then you trade," Ben-Israel said.
Israel is the only country in the Middle East to build and deploy its own spy satellites -- a project initiated after it was surprised by a joint Syria-Egyptian assault in a 1973 war.
Israel's first Ofek -- Hebrew for "horizon" -- went up in 1988.
Monday's launch could also have ramifications for the effectiveness of Israel's offensive capabilities. Israel is believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, with warheads that can be mounted on long-range Jericho missiles.
According to independent analysts, the Shavit rocket used to launch Ofek satellites closely resembles the Jericho, such that advances in the former can lead to improvements in the latter.
Israel does not discuss its nuclear capabilities under a "strategic ambiguity" policy designed to ward off enemies while avoiding an arms race.
Ben-Israel said that the Shavit used on Monday had been "fundamentally changed and improved" from previous versions.
(Additional reporting by Avida Landau in Jerusalem)
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