Israel embarks on a major expansion of its military space capabilities with the upcoming launch of the Ofeq-7 imaging satellite and at least three additional spacecraft by 2011.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is creating automated kill zones around the Gaza Strip aimed at halting infiltrations by terrorists, arms smugglers and other hostile individuals. Now in final stages of operational testing, the "See-Shoot" system will add weapons to the network of overlapping sensors already deployed along the approximately 60-kilometer border separating Israel from the Palestinian coastal territory.
In an indirect rebuke of Chinese muscle-flexing in space, Israel's defense minister and Air Force chief warned that emerging anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities in the hands of regional adversaries would require Israel to deploy its own defenses against anti-satellite threats.
In a rare public discussion on Israel's military use of space, Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Israel's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, said the nation must compensate for its lack of strategic depth on land by expanding use of sea- and space-based attacks. Specifically, Steinitz urged defense and industry officials to consider future developments of anti-satellite missiles, satellite-attacking lasers and ship-based missiles "that can strike the skies."