#6 Josh

And I’ll say again – I don’t care how smart the Israelis are, to trust a major weapons system like an H-bomb, without having had an extensive actual testing program, is only barely credible.

Vitiating that need for a test may be the fact that a number of scientists who became Israelis worked with us on our nuclear and thermonuclear programs. I note a similar situation with Taiwanese scientists. Both the physics and engineering are well known. In effect, they may be working from a basis of already tested designs.

#11 LOTM

How many of Israel’s warheads are kept in storage at Dimona and how may are launch ready? The problem they face in needing to prevent a decapitating first strike is similar to that faced by Pakistan, only in Israel’s case it is even worse because the country is so incredibly small. What Israel needs IMHO are more submarines. Fuel cell powered subs with long deployment times armed with either nuke cruise missiles or ballistics would be their best option to guarantee survivability.

While I am not sure about their gravity bombs, their missile force is on ready alert TEL’s in hardened tunnels. I assume a ready alert force for aircraft delivery. I would guess [and it is a guess] that further gravity bombs are in storage on the bases. If they decide on a first strike, one can assume that it will be a full force effort and that they will be dispersed to operational units. And the DOLPHIN-class subs are each capable of carrying 4 cruise missiles of Israeli design called the POPEYE TURBO with an extended range of 1500 km with a nuclear warhead. When I first looked at these, they had 3-4 DOLPHINS. They now have 6, although the operational status of the last two is unknown. If I was Israel, I would be pushing their working up exercises as fast as possible.

#12 Crisco

I think that they do.

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I think that things as they stand are such that the US is no longer going to influence what is going to happen. Extended deterrence no longer exists. No ally with any contact with reality will base national survival on a belief that the current regime will lift a finger to help them if they are attacked. To be honest, as discussed here, we cannot be sure that if this country is attacked that there will be any defense or retaliation ordered. At most, Buraq may influence the timing. But Alea Iacta Est.

Subotai Bahadur