http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking-1.html
Downed Chinese F-8 carried
Israeli missile
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, April 16, 2001
TEL AVIV — China has deployed Israeli air-to-air missiles on its F-8
fighter-jet, one of which was downed during a crash with a U.S spy plane on
April 1.
The Israeli Haaretz daily reported that the Chinese F-8 fighter-jet contains
the Python-3 air-to-air missile. The misile was developed and produced by the
state-owned Rafael, Israel Armament Development Authority.
The Python-3 missile can be seen in a video taken in January that was played
during a weekend news conference by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
after the release of the captured American crew. The crew of the EP-3 plane
was released last week.
The newspaper said Israel's defense officials are concerned that the
appearance of the Python-3 on the Chinese F-8 could lead to renewed U.S.
demands to end all defense cooperation between Jerusalem and Beijing. In
July, the Republican-dominated Congress and the Clinton administration
pressured Israel to halt the sale of the Phalcon airborne early-warning
system to China.
Since the suspension of the sale, Israeli-Chinese military cooperation has
been shelved. Over the last few months, officials from both countries are
discussing a revival of such relations.The Python-3 was sold to China with
U.S. consent, Israeli defense sources said. Israel has since developed and
marketed the Python-4.
