About Us

IMRA
IMRA
IMRA

 

Subscribe

Search


...................................................................................................................................................


Friday, June 24, 2016
Background on F-35's - Israel gets $5.4 billion in offset

Lockheed Martin and Israel Celebrate Rollout of Israel's First F-35 'Adir'

(EDITOR’S NOTE: According to Israeli media reports, Israel is paying $110
million for each of the first 33 F-35s it has ordered to date.
The first two aircraft are due to arrive in Israel in December, followed by
six more per year from 2017 to 2021.
The first F-35 squadron will be based at Nevatim Airbase in the Negev
Desert.
A follow-on order of 17 aircraft is under discussion, although it depends on
the level of US military assistance Israel will obtain under the new aid
package it is currently negotiating.
Israeli industry has obtained a direct offset package worth $5.4 billion for
its order, and has already received orders worth $775 million.
This package is worth $163 million per aircraft, or about 50% more in
offsets than the $110 million Israel is paying – with US military
financing -- for each aircraft.
In other words, Israel is paying for the F-35 with money provided by the
United States, while its industry gets a guaranteed $5.4 billion in related
orders – guaranteed work that is prohibited for F-35 Partner Nations.)
(Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.; issued June 22, 2016)
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/174956/lockheed-rolls-out-first-israeli-f_35.html

FORT WORTH, Texas --- Israeli and U.S. government leaders joined Lockheed
Martin to celebrate the rollout of the first Israeli Air Force F-35A
Lightning II, marking a major production milestone for the future of
Israel's national defense.

"Israel is proud to be the first country in the area to receive and operate
it," said Avigdor Liberman, Israel's Minister of Defense. "The F-35 is the
best aircraft in the world and the choice of all our military leadership at
its highest level. It is clear and obvious to us and to the entire region
that the new F-35, the Adir, will create real deterrence and enhance our
capabilities for a long time."

Brig. Gen. Tal Kelman, IAF Chief of Staff said, "As a pilot who has flown
more than 30 years in a great variety of aircraft, I had the privilege of
flying the F-35 simulator in Fort Worth and it was like holding the future
in my hands. The unique combination of split-edge technology, lethality and
the amazing man-machine interface will lead the world to the fifth
generation."

Joining the Minister at the ceremony, attended by more than 400 guests from
government, the military and industry, were the Honorable U.S. Ambassador to
Israel Daniel Shapiro; Minister Tzachi Hanegbi of Israel's Office of the
Prime Minister; Heidi Grant, Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force
for International Affairs; Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 Program Executive
Officer, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Texas State Congressman Craig
Goldman.

"We're honored to partner with Israel and help strengthen the deep and
lasting partnership between our two nations," said Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed
Martin Chairman, President and CEO at the ceremony. "The F-35 will help
Israel remain a beacon of strength and stability in the region and support a
safe and secure homeland for generations to come."

Israel's F-35, called Adir – which means "Mighty One" in Hebrew – will be a
significant addition to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge in
the Middle East region, with its advanced capability to defeat emerging
threats, including advanced missiles and heavily-defended airspace. The F-35
combines advanced low observable stealth technology with fighter speed and
agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and
advanced sustainment support.

Israel's program of record is 33 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing, or
CTOL, aircraft, acquired through the U.S. government's Foreign Military
Sales (FMS) program. Israel's contribution to the F-35 program includes
Israel Aerospace Industries F-35A wing production; Elbit Systems Ltd. work
on the Generation III helmet-mounted display system, which all F-35 pilots
fleet-wide will wear; and Elbit Systems-Cyclone F-35 center fuselage
composite components production.

Three distinct variants of the F-35 will replace the F-16 Fighting Falcon
and A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 Hornet for the
U.S. Navy, the F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier for the U.S. Marine Corps, and a
variety of fighters for at least 11 other countries.

Following the U.S. Marine Corps' July 2015 combat-ready Initial Operational
Capability (IOC) declaration, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy intend to
attain service IOC this year and in 2018, respectively. More than 170
delivered F-35s have flown more than 60,000 flight hours, fleet-wide.


Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security
and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide
and is principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems,
products and services.



-ends-

Search For An Article

....................................................................................................

Contact Us

POB 982 Kfar Sava
Tel 972-9-7604719
Fax 972-3-7255730
email:imra@netvision.net.il IMRA is now also on Twitter
http://twitter.com/IMRA_UPDATES

image004.jpg (8687 bytes)