FRUSTRATED OVER U.S. RADAR FOR F-16I

IMRA ^ | February 18, 2004 | MENL

[yonif]

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- The Israel Air Force has quietly expressed frustration over its decision to accept a U.S.-origin radar for the new F-16I multi-role fighter.

Defense officials and military sources said the choice of Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-68[V]9 synthetic-aperture multi-mode radar has dismayed both the service and the Defense Ministry. They said an evaluation by Israeli air force pilots of the U.S. radar showed it to be inferior to an indigenous Israeli radar designed by Elta Electronic Industries. Israeli pilots flew the F-16I in test flights in 2003 in the United States.

"This was the most political decision ever made by the air force and we'll be paying for this for years to come," a senior officer said.

The military sources said the Defense Ministry agreed to a U.S. radar as part of the request for 102 F-16 Block 50 aircraft from the United States in 1999. The U.S. Defense Department refused to allow Israel to install the Elta SAR radar on the F-16, the staple of NATO air forces.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Time for a retrofit.

[Bobby777]

ping to a former driver of a fighter with a powerful radar ... p.s., remember not to barrel-roll, hammerhead or yo-yo that new 777 ... hehe

seriously, I saw the footage of that test pilot who barrel-rolled the 707 waaaaaay back ... it was a sight to see, that's for sure ...

[Pukin Dog]

While this appears wasteful from the IDF perspective, it is actually a good thing on our end. Had we sold (and certified) these fighters without working RADAR, down the road, the IDF could have used any potential problem as a reason to delay the payment schedule. When you buy a fighter from the US. You buy it as a whole unit, not pieces that can be mixed and matched.

The US does not want to be on the hook for providing modifications (with associated costs and risk factors) and whatever future problems might result. US manufactures have no idea regarding the potential power-draw, voltage regulation, stress factoring or software related to this new system. Once the system is in place, the moment things go wrong, the fingers would point in both directions.

Let the IDF buy the planes, then do whatever they want with them with the full understanding that the US is not liable for anything they do.

[Gunrunner2]

Of course, they are restricted from doing modification on their own, willy-nilly. The standard terms and conditions of the LOA are quite clear on that. (But to be honest, the IDF never really seems too concerned about that.

You are right in many ways in your post. Non-recurring R&D costs shall be recouped, and the technical details worked out. But let us not forget FMS security deletions. Those are modifications/"deletions" to hardware/software that allow the export of certain components and capabilities that do not exceed our own capabilities---regardless of what you may read in the papers.

FMS security deletions are well known and the IDF bitching is nothing more than laying the ground work for future purchases, mods or upgrades.

To sell, upgrade or mod a sophisticated piece of equipment (SME or MDE), beyond that was originally authorized by congress, an ENDP is required. ENDP's require lots of justification and lots of time and the approval of congress.

(SME = significant military equipment; MDE = military defense equipment; ENDP = exception to national disclosure policy).

And let's not forget the millions of man-years in US labor this purchase generates in the aerospace industry.

And, of course, let us not forget this investment allows development to continue and the factory doors remain open.

Good deal for us.

Cheers.

[Cold Heat]

Great news!

The indigenous radar company will get a chance to sell it's wares when the planes are no longer covered under warranty.