Pentagon Speeding Up Delivery Of Joint Strike Fighter To Israel
…”This plane can fly into downtown Teheran without anyone even knowing about it since it can’t be detected on radar,” the official said…
In an effort to bolster the Israel Air Force in the face of Iran’s race toward nuclear power, the Pentagon has agreed to move up delivery of its newest stealth fighter to Israel by two years, to as early as 2012, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Last month, the IDF announced plans to purchase a squadron (at least 25 aircraft) of the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter. That delivery was expected to commence in 2014.
During meetings Defense Minister Ehud Barak held at the Pentagon last week, US defense officials agreed to allow Israel to begin receiving the aircraft as early as 2012, when delivery to the United States Air Force is set to begin.
Eight countries - including Britain, Turkey and Australia - are members of the Joint Strike Fighter project. Israel became a security cooperation participant after paying $20 million in 2003 for access to information accumulated during the jet’s development. The jet will be priced at between $50m. and $60m.
According to senior defense officials, Barak raised the issue with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and asked that Israel begin receiving the stealth fighter as soon as it is operationally available.
“We asked that for every two jets manufactured for the US, one be manufactured for Israel,” a senior defense official said, adding that acquisition of the aircraft would greatly increase Israel’s deterrence as Iran races toward nuclear power.
JP article by Yaakov Katz here.
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i think whoever wrote this article was abit off on the price of the jets
October 24th, 2007 at 7:20 pm” Jim Jam
i think whoever wrote this article was abit off on the price of the jets”
Maybe, but I wouldn’t doubt that we would give the Israelis a steep discount.
October 24th, 2007 at 7:58 pm