In message , JGB
writes
I believe Israel sold China the Python 3, which is an old generation
AAM from the 1980s, of no real threat to the US.

Okay: you fly along and I'll fire a Python 3 at you.

Back in 1982, British pilots were getting 80% hits with the AIM-9L
Sidewinder (the Python 3 is supposed to be better) against Argentinian
pilots in Israeli-built planes, trained by Israeli pilots, and whose
courage was demonstrated beyond doubt.

Israel casually exporting third-generation IR-AAMs is a serious
proliferation issue.

But the Harpoon cruise
missiles the US sold to EGypt are a very real, lethal threat to Israel.

What crucial targets can they hit?

Why is Egypt a real, current threat? (Peace treaty in 1977, if I
remember right, and no aggression in thirty years)


Either proliferating weapons is fine (in which case Israel can make no
complaint about who the US and its allies sell what to) or it isn't. If
Israel wants to be listened to about the dangers of proliferation, it
needs to be less export-driven about its own sales policy.
--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam