It’s clear now that the Bush Administration won’t give the green light for Israel to attack Iranian nuclear facilities (I think that might be the one thing Bush and myself agree on).

But what we have done is provide kick-ass military equipment.

After several months of teetering back and forth about what weapons to provide Israel, the United States overwhelmingly decided to allow Israel use of the X-band radar system.  It’s not run-of-the-mill radar by any means.

The x-band can “track an object the size of a baseball from 4,700 kilometers away” essentially protecting Israel from an Iranian missile attack:

It would allow Israel’s Arrow missile to engage a Shahab-3 ballistic missile about halfway through what would be a 11-minute flight from Iran, or six times sooner than Israel’s “Green Pine” radar can.

The decision to deploy the radar in Israel was finalized during Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s recent visit to the US.

The radar, according to the magazine, will be linked to the US Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS), which receives and processes threat data transmitted by US Defense Support System satellites.

The ever amusing DEBKAfile reported yesterday that the U.S. Air Force delivered the equipment and American military personel on a C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III (that translates to ginormous airplanes).

DEBKAfiles’ ever elusive “military source” who’s identity is never, ever named:

Commenting on the FBX radar deployment, a Pentagon source said: First, we want to put Iran on notice that we’re bolstering our capabilities throughout the region, and especially in Israel. But just as important, we’re telling the Israelis, ‘Calm down; behave. We’re doing all we can to stand by you and strengthen defenses.’”

Right.  I’m sure Israel LOVES that you’re insinuating that they’re children who needs babysitting.

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It’s a long running joke in the military that the Air Force gets the best of everything, from the cushiest rooms, to the highest level of electronic gadgets to play with- both job related, and r&r based.  It’s usually a topic that’s discussed in jest with only mild (if any) contempt carried through the thread by the ones making the wisecracks.

However, with a new project that the Air Force has in play, the Airmen themselves are turning on the hands that feed them, because the brass doesn’t think things are quite comfortable enough for them when they travel.  So they’re spending approximately $20 Million to upgrade their seating arrangements in something they’re calling Senior Leader In-transit Comfort Capsules or SLICCs.  Though in many of the pages discussing the SLICCs the word “Comfort” has been crossed out and replaced with “Conference”, in an effort to downplay the requested extravagances. 

The SLICCs are being equipped with 4 swivelling recliners with personal lamps (the recliners were originally brown, but were reupholstered to a nice “Air Force blue” to the tune of $68,240), a large wooden desk (more money spent to darken the color of the wood of which the table was constructed), beds, a couch, another table, a 37 inch flat screen TV with stereo speakers (what?  thought surround sound would be too much?) and a full length mirror.

Now, maybe it’s just me, but I remember being crammed into a civilian aircraft with multiple other units along with our armor, our gear, and our weapons, into standard seating and flying from the U.S. to Europe, then from Europe to Kuwait, and then moved out into a cargo plane with folded down bench seating and harnesses sitting in the same compartment as pallets of equipment for our flights to and around Iraq.  I’m not suggesting everyone fly in such a manor, but all things considered I think the “luxury aircraft” in which the senior leadership in the Air Force already travel is more than sufficient given the alternatives. 

Oh, it should also be noted that there are no additions of communication improvements or other work related additions to the SLICCs (unless you count a single desk as all you need).

Luckily Congress is in agreement and is doing all they can to slow the draw of funds by the project from the GWOT (Global War on Terror, because when I think war on terror, I’m thinking leather recliners and flatscreen TVs) pot. 

The project is already underway, with at least one SLICC well into construction.  So next time you meet a General from the Air Force, make sure you ask them about their flight.

More information about the SLICC, including pictures, can be found here.

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