Posted on 11/29/2016 5:05:01 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Sunday’s cabinet decision to approve the acquisition of 17 F-35s for the Israel Air Force is a belated, necessary result to the partial decision the previous government made nearly three years ago. Then, only a partial equipping was approved in an unusual step that would have left the IAF at the end of the acquisition process with a squadron and a half. It would have been an operational hybrid, which would likely not allow long-term planning and conducting of missions on an ongoing basis. According to the decision, the IAF will have a full complement of two squadrons by 2021 or 2022. The question whether to increase the number to three squadrons will come in a few years.
The F-35 is a very controversial plane. It is the most expensive acquisition plan in the history of the American security apparatus. So far it has had a long series of failures, schedule delays and growing expenses. In contrast, the IAF insists that this is the best if not only plane for its needs.
Because the air force particularly excels in organized and effective administrative work, and because it is precisely the subject that no one among the top of the establishment understands like pilots, there was never any doubt that this is how the controversy would be resolved. Remember how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a year ago after the approval of the gas deal “when I want something, I get it”? Were these things said by the air force commander, Gen. Amir Eshel, they would not sound like a hollow boast.
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.755888
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
May God Bless and Protect Israel in this particularly dangerous time. The IAF may be His chosen tool for the job.
If you can’t get it to work, give it to the Israelis.
Fit? We’ll make it fit!
They’d rather have the f22.
But leave it to Haartz to be the enemy within Israel.
Haaretz is suffering financially. I get begging requests on weekly basis from them. They are much further left and more consistent liars than the NYT and the Washington Post, if that is even possible.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.