The main guest, in addition to the astronauts at the 2006 Israel Science and Space Conference, was the Commander of the Air Force or as it is now called the Air and Space Wing of the IDF, Major General Eliezer Shakdi.
Avi Blizovsky
The main guest, in addition to the astronauts at the 2006 Israel Science and Space Conference, was the Commander of the Air Force or as it is now called the Air and Space Wing of the IDF, Major General Eliezer Shakdi.
"The mission of the air and space arm is to operate in the air and space medium for the defense of the State of Israel, to be integrated in the deterrence of war and the achievement of the goals of the war." Shakedy said.
"The meaning is that in my view the word arm has a deep meaning in two aspects - building power and exercising power. As the air and space arm, we are responsible for the building of the force in the air and space and its operation. The analogy of the Air Force in the sense of building an air force for all its meaning should also be regarding space.
Our deepest goal is the direction of operational relevance is a fundamental issue that we must move towards. We must develop the strategic to tactical capability and move from research and development to operational use"
Why space? Shakedi asks and answers: "Land and sea are one dimension, the second medium is the air and the third dimension - space. At this point in time, in my estimation the dimension of space allows the State of Israel a strategic depth that we simply do not have. The dimension allows us to understand the situation very close to the borders, at medium ranges from the borders and at far ranges. The issue of liberation from sovereignty has meaning, it is possible to operate fully without the sovereignty limitations of the countries that surround you, in my view it has a deep operational significance both in preparation for operational activity and in the activity itself."
"Survivability, accessibility and flexibility in the use of power must also be taken into account. In the deepest sense of the matter, in my eyes, the space dimension itself is a very significant arena of action for us as the air and space forces and, in my estimation, for the State of Israel. There is a debate as to whether air and space are solid or whether air is a medium that stands on its own and space is a medium that stands on its own. We need to make sure that there are no cables, conventions or other things. Everything that is opened for the space will be freed from past fixations."
Directions for operational applications in space: intelligence collection with available, continuous coverage in the space of time in the entire spectrum, day, night and in any weather; Communication - broad, immediate and secure global connectivity;
Navigation - multiple global systems, immune. to create for ourselves independence from a single system that may close the counter to it; The directions for the conservation of space assets - a space image to understand what is being read. We need SHOB capability - command and telemetry; Space maintenance - refueling, repair, upgrade; And finally, we will need to think about ways of self-defense and response against threatening space assets. This issue may come before us.
Destinations for reaching and supporting space missions - must deal with the launch issue. We must achieve the ability to launch on demand, and with redundant means (in particular launching from the air) as well as find ways to fuse, process and distribute space information. - We must transfer the fusion information in such a way that it can become operationally useful information. We are at the threshold of a world that will rely more and more on information. If we don't know how to transfer this knowledge, fusion of study and relevant operational distribution, we are making a big mistake. In conclusion of this section, Major General Shakdi said that there is a need for a unified space command.
Shakedi criticized the fact that there is still no consolidated world view regarding space, and there is a need to create a power building and operating concept that also concerns the air and space arm, the security system and the entire State of Israel. "We are very far from the organizational, operational and comprehensive world class regarding the use of force in space, the entire connection between the systems requires a quick adjustment. I requested that all issues related to space in the professional contexts appear in the Air Force's work plans. Regarding the organizational structure of the air force and space, we are far in the space field from the situation we are in when it comes to air vehicles. Let it not be understood that the administrations are not doing a good job, and the industry is also doing a good job. The dialogue between the needs, the administration in the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Industry is still not defined.
"Israel should strive for the supremacy of information. Information is a key element in modern warfare. Controlling space is a fundamental condition for controlling the information wave. Those who do not read the picture regarding the supremacy of information are making a serious mistake. It is not possible to achieve supremacy in information without a real, structured entry into the field of space."
"There are a number of areas in which the State of Israel must develop independent capabilities because of their strategic importance over many, many years. The field of space is one of the few fields that should be set as a goal for the State of Israel. The situation where someone is your friend and helps you and at another point in time he can close the counter is an undesirable situation. We need to act so that this does not happen. We have the ability to develop in these directions.
The next thing is the operational capabilities - intelligence, control, accurate fire. Capable of closing a full and fast operational operational circle "We should strive to carry out any task, anywhere, at any time".
And of course resources are required for this: how much should the State of Israel invest in the space dimension. In my opinion, we are not at the right point and therefore there is a need for a change in investment proportions and distribution of resources of the State of Israel. The increase in air power and the significance of space requires an internal decision regarding proportions and changes in the proportions of air and space in relation to other dimensions."
In conclusion, Mena Shakedi added additional points: the challenge is to make the launch, the construction of a platform and dedicated payloads in an achievable manner on the scale of Israel. To this end, Israel's relative advantages in the field of technology must be exhausted - especially in the field of miniaturization and unmanned aircraft. We are in a new era and a new combat dimension with its own technology, which requires the development of its own combat doctrines and operating concepts. Do not fall into the trap that the issue is only a technological issue. In my eyes, the sky is not the limit."
In response to a question from the audience, what is the significance of the ability of Saudi Arabia and Iran to launch satellites into space, General Shakdi said that the current satellites do not pose a risk to Israel. "However, there is an understanding of the meaning of space in the context of the supremacy of information even in places we did not think were aware of the same intensity. Those who think that space is only a matter for the superpowers are making a gross mistake. The space is a business, whoever decides to be in it and defines the issue of affordability will be there and we should define it."
