Not job hunting New ‘Iron Sting’ precise mortar munition unveiled
USAF receives its first F-15EX jet, Mossad chief denies political ties to PM
As the IDF completes preparations for possible combat on both the southern and the northern fronts – where it is expected to encounter a smarter, well-organized enemy – the Defense Ministry, the IDF’s ground forces, and Elbit Systems reveal a precise, laser and GPS-guided mortar munition that will reduce unintended collateral damage.
The 120mm. “Iron Sting” mortar has recently undergone final trials in a testing site in southern Israel. The completion of testing enables the start of serial production ahead of the system’s supply to the IDF, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The body in charge of the development of the system in the Defense Ministry is the Directorate of Defense R&D (DDR&D).
The series of tests was carried out using two networked “Cardom” mortar systems developed by Elbit Systems: a “Cardom” system, mounted on an M113 APC and a “Cardom Spear” system, mounted on a Hummer 4X4 SUV.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Iron Sting is designed to engage targets precisely, in both open terrain and urban environments, while reducing the possibility of collateral damage and preventing injury to non-combatants. Its operational use will revolutionize ground warfare and equip battalions with organic, accurate and effective firepower.
Following the announcement, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that “the technology made available to the IDF by Israeli Industries changes the battlefield and provides our forces with more accurate and effective means.
“The integration of ‘Iron Sting’ in the IDF corresponds to the vision presented in
about himself and not the state,” Yesh Atid wrote in the messages. “All those who took part in the bloated and wasteful government left Netanyahu in the Prime Minister’s Residence. You cannot replace the government with parties with five seats, and parties with six seats cannot save democracy. Big changes can only be made if Yesh Atid is large.”
Taking votes away from its satellite parties could help Yesh Atid rise above the 19-20 seats the party currently gets in the polls and compete with Netanyahu’s Likud, which receives 27-29.
Receiving double the mandates of Yamina and New Hope could also make clear that Lapid would be the camp’s candidate to form a government after the election and not Yamina leader Naftali Bennett or New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar, who have both vowed not to sit in a government led by Lapid.
Sources in Blue and White and Labor warned Lapid that he was only harming himself.
A Channel 13 poll broadcast on Sunday night predicted 28 seats for Likud, 20 for Yesh Atid, 11 for Yamina, nine for New Hope, eight for the Joint List, seven for Yisrael Beytenu and United Torah Judaism, six for Labor, Shas and the Religious Zionist Party and four for Meretz, Blue and White and
Ra’am (United Arab List).
The New Economy Party of former Finance Ministry accountant-general Prof. Yaron Zelekha was predicted to win only 2.1% of the vote, well below the 3.25% electoral threshold.
But in a move that could harm Labor and Meretz, Zelekha said Sunday that he would remain in the race until the end. He said the public does not believe the “fake polls,” and that he still believes he will be the “big surprise” of this election cycle.
Because Zelekha broke his promise to quit ahead of the election if he was not crossing the threshold, his No. 3 candidate, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Prof. Yoram Yovell, announced on Sunday that he would be dropping out of the race. Yovell told confidants that he did not want to waste votes.
Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has selected Israel to host the Flag Football World Championships at the Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem, slated to take place December 6-8, 2021.
The three-day tournament is expected to attract more than 40 teams from up to 30 countries competing for the world title and a spot in the 2022 World Games.
The bi-annual tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Denmark in 2020, but was postponed due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The Kraft Family Sports Campus hosted one of the most successful European Championships in 2019.
“The Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem is fast becoming an iconic venue for Flag Football,” said IFAF President Richard MacLean. “I look forward to seeing the world’s finest flag football players coming together for what will undoubtedly be a great event. The competition is tremendous, as teams compete to secure their place at the World Games, and one team will earn the honor of being crowned IFAF Flag Football World Champions.”
The lead sponsor for the World Championships is New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who has long supported American Football in Israel.
“We love the game of American football and are so proud to see the sport’s popularity continue to grow internationally in its various forms, including flag football,” said Kraft, chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group. “When we invested in the Kraft Family Sports Campus it was with the hope that it would not only provide a location for daily exercise and competition for all Israelis, but that it would also become a destination for championship-level competition for football leagues throughout the Middle East and Europe. It was an investment in both Israel and American football, two of my greatest passions.”
This year, the Flag Football World Championship (FFWC) takes on added significance as flag football will be included for the first time at the World Games that will be played in the US city of Birmingham, Alabama in July 2022.
The World Games football competition will be limited to the top eight men’s and women’s flag football teams in the world, and those teams will be selected based on final placement at the 2021 World Championships. The inclusion of American football at the World Games is presented by the NFL.
An expected 800 players, coaches and officials are expected to attend the December competition in Israel, which will be housed at the Ramada Renaissance and Ramada Royal hotels.
AFI President Steve Leibowitz will head the local organizing committee and welcomed the opportunity.
“The COVID-related sports challenges are not yet behind us, but looking forward we are quite confident that our organization can provide a safe and exciting championship venue. I am proud to bring a football world championship to the Israeli capital and hoping the home crowd will help our teams reach the World Games.”
The United States men and women are the current flag football world champions after winning the gold at the FFWC held in Panama in 2018. The other pre-tournament favorites on the men’s side are the reigning silver medalist Austria, the reigning European champion Denmark and Mexico. Israel is currently ranked fifth. On the women’s side, joining the US as favorites are silver medalist Panama, the reigning European champion Spain, as well as Austria and Canada
ISRAEL HAS long been a player on the global flag football scene, for both men and women, and will be hosting the 2021 World Championships in Jerusalem.