Barbara Opall-Rome

Opall-Rome is Israel bureau chief for Defense News. She has been covering U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation, Mideast security and missile defense since May 1988. She lives north of Tel Aviv. Visit her website at www.opall-rome.com.

All Stories By Barbara

30 years at Defense News: Reflections from a ‘war industry stooge’

After 30 years at Defense News, Israel correspondent Barbara Opall-Rome says farewell.

3 years ago

Declassified: How an Israeli operation derailed Syria’s nuclear weapons drive

Defense News brings you this first-ever official account of an Israeli operation to destroy Syria’s top-secret and nearly operational al-Kibar nuclear facility just weeks before it went hot.

4 years ago

More than 2,500 U.S. troops wrapping up Juniper Cobra in Israel

More than 2,500 U.S. troops have taken part in the two-week-long Juniper Cobra joint exercise with Israeli Defense Forces, which concludes Thursday.

US, Israel in ‘dress rehearsal‘ for joint response against Iran missile attack

U.S. and Israeli contingency plans for a joint response to an Iranian missile attack could be activated at any moment, with U.S. forces arriving in Israel from Europe in 72 hours, officers from both countries explained.

Syrian downing of F-16I begs question: Why didn’t Israel deploy F-35s?

Are these costly stealth fighters too precious to use? Or perhaps the Israeli Air Force is not sufficiently confident in the F-35 or its pilots’ proficiency in operating the fifth-gen fighter.

Israel Air Force says seized Iranian drone is a knockoff of US Sentinel

The Iranian drone that Israel intercepted over the weekend is a "copy" of a stealthy U.S.-built RQ-170 Sentinel UAV, according to a senior Israeli Air Force officer.

Israeli F-16I destroyed in attacks prompted by Iranian UAV infiltration

A frontline Israeli F-16I was destroyed on Saturday after it came under heavy attack by Syrian-based anti-aircraft missiles during a round of strikes and counter-strikes prompted by an early morning breach of Israeli airspace by an Iranian UAV.

Israel touts 'steel dome' as answer to terror tunnels

Inspired by the Israeli Iron Dome, the so-called steel dome is a multilayered system of new technologies, tactics and procedures aimed at denying militants from Hamas and Gaza-based terror organizations the ability to attack Israel from underground.

Israel declares F-35s ready for operations

The Israeli Air Force has declared its initial squadron of nine F-35 stealth fighters ready for operational use, less than a year after the first two were delivered here by the U.S. Air Force.

An inside look at Israel’s missile test range

From this Israeli Air Force base in the highly populated heart of the country, complex and dangerous ballistic missile tests take place.

Target glitch prompts a ‘no test’ for US-Israel Arrow-3 missile interceptor

A target missile that “was not conforming to safety parameters” forced program officials in Israel to terminate Monday morning’s planned test of the Arrow-3 prior to launch of the exo-atmospheric intercepting missile.

Israel declares operational capability for sea-based Iron Dome

The Israeli military has declared initial operational capability of a ship-based version of the Iron Dome intercepting system.

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Airmen help Afghan interpreter get settled in the United States

The story behind the Navy's Marine-inspired football uniforms

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