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'Pentagon refusing Israeli F-35 demands'
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST Jan. 20, 2010
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147932342&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull
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?"
In a letter of request that the Defense Ministry submitted to the Pentagon
in July, Israel asked to purchase 25 stealth fighter jets, but officials
said Tuesday that the target date for an official order, if the negotiations
are completed, would likely be in the next six months.
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