F-35 fighter - the latest US gift to Israel
Israel committed to buying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter … using a $3 billion defense grant from the United States.
IOA Editor: The US taxpayer giveth and Lockheed-Martin/Israel taketh…
By John Reed, Defense News – 7 Oct 2010
www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4866067&c=AIR&s=TOP
Israel committed to buying the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter when Defense Ministry Director General Udi Shani signed a letter of offer and acceptance from the United States for the planes today in New York City, Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 7.
The move will make Israel the first non-F-35 partner nation to receive the planes through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The jets are slated to be delivered between 2015 and 2017.
In August, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave his approval to buy 20 of the fifth-generation jets, along with training and maintenance gear, using a $3 billion defense grant from the United States. The letter of offer and acceptance had been expected to be signed in September.
This comes just over a week after Tier-3 F-35 Partner Norway announced that it will delay its F-35A purchases from 2014 to 2016 to save money in the near term.
More IOA coverage of the F-35 Joint Strie Fighter
