More on the cancelled THEL and Skyguard today

Lasers Over Lebanon
by James Dunnigan

Many Israelis are complaining that development of a, laser based anti-missile system, called THEL, which was recently cancelled, could have been used to stop some of the Hizbollah rockets coming out of Lebanon. Meanwhile, the American partner in THEL development is now offering a smaller version, Skyguard, for protecting commercial aircraft from portable anti-aircraft missiles. The manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, originally developed THEL (Tactical High Energy Laser) for combat situations. Tests last year showed THEL was able to knock down barrages of incoming mortar shells.

Israel was a partner in the development of THEL, which was originally supposed to enter service in 2007. When THEL was cancelled earlier this year, the laser still needed work, but the THEL radar was already in good shape. In 2004, Israel used the THEL radar to detect incoming Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza, and this provided an opportunity to operate the radar under combat conditions.

The THEL system was designed to knock down larger, and better made, rockets than the home made Palestinian Kassam rockets. In other words, THEL would have been very useful knocking down the factory made rockets Hizbollah has been firing at Israel over the last few weeks.

One is again COMPELLED to inquire if we can rule out the posibility that among the plans laid by the Mullahs are smuggled 6 and 9 foot long katyushas in the USA. If the Israeli Air Force, whose density over the area of lebanon south of the litani must have been substantial, could not stop the katyusha firings, how much more difficult would this task be in the USA? How much more compelling when these stupid pipes slam in to any small city of 20,000 with three local TV stations there live to upload to CNN and FOX and NBC? Could Manhattan be missed from central NJ? The refineries at Elizabeth NJ? Would we even be able to pick the Katyusha up on radar and know the vicinity of launch in this huge country?

Are we READY?

Why is such a system not already deployed?

Failure of imagination

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