Israel's Tomer defence company causes a stir with a rocket engine experiment near Beit Shemesh
A large explosion near the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh late Saturday was part of a pre-planned. controlled test, according to a statement by state-owned Tomer defence company that was cited by TheTimes of Israel.
Videos on social media showed flames. a large plume of smoke rising from the area following the blast, which was heard in nearby communities.
Massive Mushroom Explosion Rocks Beit Shemesh West of Al-QudsA massive explosion rocked the town of Beit Shemesh west of Al-Quds on Saturday. sending a large mushroom cloud billowing into the sky. Emergencies were blocked from reaching the scene of the blast.pic.twitter.com/8V622u5iMD
TheTimes of Israelsaid the explosion occurred at a testing ground belonging to Tomer, a company that develops rocket. missile engines.
The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.
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Israel announced on Thursday thesigning of a contractworth more than $34 million to develop “an extended-range” capability for the F-35 Adir fighter jet.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement that its Defence Procurement Directorate signed the deal with Cyclone. a wholly owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems.
The agreement covers “the development of an extended-range capability for the F-35 ‘Adir’ fighter jet. manufactured by Lockheed Martin,” the statement added.
“The deal, valued at over $34 million (over NIS 100 million), covers the development. integration of external fuel tanks based on an existing Cyclone design originally developed for the F-16,” it said.
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