Posted on 01/31/2011 9:29:13 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Israel seems determined to acquire a fleet of Lockheed Martin's costly F-35 stealth fighters despite the plethora of problems plaguing the development of the fifth-generation jet.
A new assessment of Israel's defense challenges indicates why: In the face of improving air defenses in Iran and Syria, Israel's main state adversaries in the Middle East, air superiority is vital in maintaining the Jewish state's qualitative military edge.
"Equipping the Israeli air force with the F-35 has strategic importance in terms of deterring the enemy from starting a war and in terms of maintaining Israel's qualitative advantage in the arena," the assessment observed.
The study, written by Gur Laish, an expert on the Israeli air force with the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, added that air superiority is essential for Israel if it is to be capable of striking "choice regions deep inside enemy territory."
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
/johnny
They’re not going to be available soon enough to fight the next ME war.
Unless Lockheed Martin proceeds production of the F35- A and C models without the B model
All this whining for the F-35-—let them pay for it. Lockheed has gotten enough of the taxpayer’s money for now.
What's the timeline on that? Next month? Because it's possible Egypt and Iran may throw a punch at Israel before summer.
Maybe Israel can help us out and give us the money upfront to develop the F35 lineup.
The tests are over.A total of 11 U.S. Air Force F-35s are to arrive in Fiscal Year 2011
That’s good. Israel will need every available resource.
I believe that Israel is building the wings for the F-35
Israel has to be thinking about all that new potential enemy armor just across the canal especially the 500+ Egyptian M1 Abrams MBTs. Hope they have plenty of ATGMs.
I have been thinking about this all day. Both armies have American equipment but I think that the Israelis have the upper hand because of their personnel have experiece. The Israelis know all the weaknesses.
The Israelis know the Sinai Peninsula quite well because it was their territory after the 1973 war.They know every nook and cranny.
Can Israel stop 500 m-1.
Incorrect. Code, for one thing, is still being written and the flight test syllabus, which is also still being written, is far from being over.
A total of 11 U.S. Air Force F-35s are to arrive in Fiscal Year 2011
LRIP
According to Lockheed Martin the last F-35 B test has finished
here is the link
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2011/110128ae_last-f35-stovl-testjet-flies.html
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