Administration sources today indicated that the State Department may soon offer antiaircraft artillery batteries and barrage balloons to Israel to protect Israeli cities from low-altitude aerial assault. Jet planes will probably not be offered to Israel, the same sources stated.
These sources said the State Department is now considering export licenses for obviously defensive arms such as anti-aircraft guns equipped with radar and fire control director apparatus. The guns considered were 90 millimeter pieces made surplus some time ago by the U. S. Army which considers them obsolescent and not effective against the latest jets. It was explained by one artillery expert that the jet speed is such that the automatic range finding device cannot compute and track effectively.
The anti-aircraft equipment might be explained to the Arabs with a statement that they have nothing to fear if their planes do not attack Israel territory. It might be pointed out that the much desired jet fighters were not being sold to Israel. At the same time, Israel, according to this information, might be told that the flak batteries should calm their anxiety over the menace from the skies.
The barrage balloons were described here as “ideal” for Israel because they are so legitimately and obviously “defensive” that the Arabs can make no reasonable objection. It is not believed that Israel requested balloons on the list of vital arms submitted last November to balance the flow of aggressive Communist weapons to Egypt.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
