Israel buys F-35 jets with eyes on Iran

[ErnstBlofeld]

UPI:

Israel's purchase of 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, the world's most advanced combat jets, significantly enhances the Jewish state's ability to defend itself "by itself," in the words of U.N. Ambassador Michael Oren.

His comment following Thursday's contract signing in New York, is a clear reference to possible conflict with Iran, against whose nuclear installations Israel has threatened to launch pre-emptive strikes.

However, Israel is unlikely to take delivery of the first of the fifth- generation fighters until 2015 at the earliest, with completion scheduled for 2017.

That should rule the F-35s out of any long-range mission against Iran for at least four years, by which time the Tehran regime may already have developed a nuclear weapon.

The $2.75 billion contract was signed by the director-general of Israel's Defense Ministry, retired Maj. Gen. Ehud Shani, and the Deputy Undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force Heidi Honecker Grant after several years of tortuous negotiations.

The F-35s will equip one squadron of the Israeli air force, with each aircraft costing around $96 million, together with training simulators, spare parts and associated equipment.

[Stella]

I am pleasantly surprised that this sale wasn't blocked by the Obama administration.

[Casino67]

I am pleasantly surprised that this sale wasn't blocked by the Obama administration.

 

I read/heard somewhere that the sale was approved in an effort to keep Israel in the current negotiations with the PLO. It's all politics.

[ErnstBlofeld]

It was and many in the Israeli cabinent fought it.The original deal was to Israel to purchase the new F-15SE but this jet will gurantee Israeli superiority.The Israelis will get all of the new F-35I with all of their modifications.