Israel may get $4 billion sweetener to purchase F-35
It's not a done deal yet, but it looks like at least one of Israel's major hesitations over buying the F-35 joint strike fighter - a decision Israel has been trying to make for months - has been resolved. Israel will receive a $4 billion sweetener for buying the jet in the form of a manufacturing contract for its spare parts.What will happen with the other big issues - putting proprietary Israeli technology into Israel's jets and allowing Israel to maintain its own fleet - remains to be seen. But the US and Lockheed (the manufacturer) apparently want the IAF as a customer badly enough to make some concessions.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:36 AM
4 Comments:
So, will the F-35 out fight the semi-stealthy F-15's that Israel bought but Obama refused to deliver?
So, will the F-35 out fight the semi-stealthy F-15s that Israel bought but that Obama refused to deliver?
Pardon my ignorance - but if this fighter is capable of reaching Iran (& that's the detail of which I am ignorant), then we know exactly what's going on.
Iron Chef -
They have not tested the F35 enough to know the maximum range.
It seems from the published fuel load, it could just barely reach the western border of Iran. It could penetrate Iran and return home only with midair refueling.
Since they aren't building and selling them now it's a moot point.
It seems that with external fuel tanks the F16I could get to Iran as well - and Israel has those already.
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