The Israeli military command on Saturday (6 July) demonstrated two new American-made short-range anti-aircraft systems at a secret desert location.

The more sophisticated of the two -- the Chaparral -- is a self-propelled amphibian missile system. It is made up of a mobile carrier, a launch-and-control station, and missiles fitted with infra-red homing devices.

The Chaparral's missiles are mounted four at a time on a turret which turns through 360 degrees. The turret retracts in the carrier vehicle which has storage for additional missiles.

The Military Command said the Chaparral had made its first "kill" shortly after the October war last year, during clashes on the Golan Heights front. An Israeli official explained:
SYNOPSIS: The second system -- the Vulcan -- comprises a vehicle, six 20- millimetre guns and a fire-control unit. The Military Command said the Vulcan was designed to provide defence against low-flying aircraft.

The Military command also revealed it was seeking new fighter 'planes from the United States to gain an edge over Syria's latest Soviet MiG's.

Air Force Commander, Major-General Binyamin Peled told newsmen that the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, the YF-16 and YF-17 fighters were the only western aircraft which could match the Soviet MiG-23, now being supplied to Syria.