Report: Israel seeking to upgrade its nuclear weapons capabilities
Israel is extending the range of its Jericho 3 missiles and upgrading its sea-based cruise missiles, according to an independent U.K. commission report published in the Guardian.
By Haaretz
Israel is working on improving its nuclear weapons capabilities, according to a report by the independent Trident commission in the United Kingdom that was published in the Guardian newspaper on Monday.
According to the report in the Guardian, Israel is extending the range of its Jericho 3 land-to-land missiles so they will have the capabilities of transcontinental missiles.
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One of Israel’s submarines off the Israeli coast, 2008. |
| Photo by: Tomer Appelbaum |
Transcontinental missiles are generally thought of as missiles with ranges of about 5,000 miles.
The Guardian also reported that Israel is also striving to improve and expand the capabilities of its cruise missiles, designed to be launched from submarines. Israel currently has three submarines and two more are under construction in Germany. Israel and Germany are holding talks about the construction of a sixth submarine.
According to foreign media reports, Israel’s submarines are meant to give Israel a “second strike” nuclear option, meaning that Israel can strike back with nuclear weapons from submarines at hidden locations at sea even if its nuclear weapons stored on land are harmed in an enemy nuclear strike.
According to the report in the Guardian, the world’s nuclear states are planning to spend more than $800 billion in the coming years to modernize and upgrade their nuclear arsenals. The United States itself will spend $700 billion dollars on such projects. Other countries that will reportedly invest in upgrading their nuclear arsenals are Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Israel, France and Britain.
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WarSclerotic 
October 31, 2011 at 5:45 PM
Is very important for the Jewish State to keep alive the option to react at nuclear very long distance attacks from countries we even do not think now such a thing is possible. For example, let us assume that Israel has decided to attack -conventionally – the iranian atomic facilities . We know that, in such a case, the iranians , hamas and hezbollah will respond with many hundreds of missiles against Israel which can result in a total paralyzation of the jewish state. In such a case, Israel will react nuclear against iran and will use tactical nuclear armament against hezbollah. And now , if any country in the world -for example, Russia- will want to ”punish” Israel for choosing the nuclear option , that country might want to think twice before touching the red switch, because Israel can respond to that country . Is the deterrence we are talking about here .