Posted on 01/19/2010 11:07:23 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Defense Ministry has told the Pentagon that it will purchase the stealth-enabled Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) if it is allowed to replace 50 percent of the systems with Israeli-made technology, defense officials said Tuesday.
According to the officials, the investment in purchasing the JSF - also known as the F-35 - would only be cost-effective if some of the money went back to Israeli defense industries. One example was the contract Israel Aerospace Industries won to produce wing boxes for F16s made by Lockheed Martin, also the primary contractor for the F-35.
The F-35 will be one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world and, according to the IAF, would significantly boost Israel's deterrence in the Middle East. The planes are expected to cost around $130 million each.
According to the official, Israel will not likely give up the demand to install its own electronic-warfare and radar systems on the plane. The Pentagon, the official said, had already approved some of Israel's demands, but was continuing to deny it access to the plane's internal computers which would prevent the installation of all of the systems the air force had requested.
"We need to retain a qualitative edge over the F-35s that will be sold," the official explained.
Another problem has been the US's refusal to allow Israel to independently maintain the aircraft. Under the current proposal, if a customer encounters a mechanical malfunction, the plane will have to be sent to a maintenance center, likely to be set up in Italy.
"This is not something we can live with," the official said. "Can you imagine that during a war we will send one of our aircraft to Italy to be fixed?"
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
Israel has a good point.
Fine by me. Whatever we give to Israel has a funny way of going to China.
The issue is not about Israel getting the F-35, but whether it can modify it with Israeli avionics and weapons. Besides with China supporting Irans nuclear program and selling the J-10 to Pakistan as well as offering it to the Arab countries, I don't see a redux. Last time I checked, Israel stole the Harpy drones it had sold to China, on the pretext of an upgrade.
More like F-16 designs Israel supplied to China, a la the ‘Lavi’ fighter, and almost sold an AWACS system to them, but were forced to back off from doing so.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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A oft-repeated, but complete, lie.
Tell it to Bill Gertz.
The false rumor started by the Russians who claimed a prototype Lavi was moved to China.
I am a former IAF officer, and I was involved in the Lavi project, which I presume is what you reference.
First an appeal to common sense: look at the J-9, which predates Lavi. The evoltution is clear. If there was theft, it was theft of a Russian design.
Second, the whole prototype-in-China business (again, the seed the basis for the rumor being Russians who claimed to have seen a Lavi in China) is easily refuted.
When the Lavi was cancelled on 1987, a total of five airframes had been built. Prototypes #1 and #2 were completed prototypes, while #3, #4, and #5 were incomplete (#4 and #5 being little more than the basic frame).
Parts from unit #1 and #2 were pulled to complete unit #3 as the private-venture technology demonstrator (TD) aircraft.
#3 remains in the IAI hanger, and I’ve seen it myself.
The gutted unit #2 was put in the Israeli Air Force museum at the Hatzerim Airbase for static display, and the rest (gutted #1 and #4, & #5) were parted out.
That said, there WAS a technology transfer, but NOT of American technology.
Certain people ILLEGALLY sold elements of the Israeli-made ELM-2021 radar system, which can simultaneously track six air targets and lock on to the four most threatening targets for destruction.
They were fired/prosecuted, as appropriate.
This illegally-sold radar system probably has made its way into a number of Chinese and other enemy countries.
I would contrast this prosecution and civil litigation by the lack of any litigation by any American firm against any Israeli firm; if an Israeli company had broken its license agreements, they would have been sued out of existence by the technology holders.
The fact that no such suit was filed (when BIG money is at issue) is, to those in the defense industry (which is sue happy), some of the best evidence that there is nothing to the rumors.
Which is largely based on the refuted Lavi-nonsense.
Specifically note here: the entire theory all hinges on credibility of Russians.
http://www.gertzfile.com/gertzfile/ring052308.html
Of course, Russians have never lied about anything to harm Israel. Russians LOVE Jews and have NEVER armed and aided Israel’s enemies. /s/
almost sold an AWACS system to them, but were forced to back off from doing so.
Israel offered China the Phalcon AESA AEW/AWACS system, which is in no way based on US technology.Because all Israeli foreign arms sales are reveiwed by the PEntagon, the US stopped the deal. You just proved my point here. Israel will not cross the US. And you should look up the Harpy deal and what Israel did for the US.
There is also this little baby (which I assisting in training USAF pilots for use in Afganistan and Iraq, largely by A-10 pilots):
http://www.rafael.co.il/marketing/area.aspx?FolderID=334&docID=914
I’ve gotten love letters back from trainees.
In fact, it was a LITENING pod that targeted Al-Qaeda terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi and let him go to Hell.
http://www.export.gov.il/Eng/_Articles/Article.asp?CategoryID=727&ArticleID=3901
According to the official, Israel will not likely give up the demand to install its own electronic-warfare and radar systems on the plane. The Pentagon, the official said, had already approved some of Israel's demands, but was continuing to deny it access to the plane's internal computers which would prevent the installation of all of the systems the air force had requested.Thanks sonofstrangelove.
I could send you one for your refutation of the Lavi slur :-)
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