Sat, Oct 09, 2010
Letter Of Offer And Acceptance Signed By Israeli Defense
Director
Israeli Ministry of Defense Director General (Maj. Gen. Ret.)
Udi Shani has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the
procurement of F-35 Lightning II aircraft Thursday in New York.
Israel will be the first country to receive the F-35 through the
United States government’s Foreign Military Sales
process.
The agreement, drafted in August, is for 20 JSF aircraft worth
$2.75 billion.
“This is another step in the longstanding relationship
between Lockheed Martin and the nation of Israel. The Lightning II
will strengthen Israel’s national security posture both
militarily and industrially” said Tom Burbage, Lockheed
Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program
Integration.
“This is (an) historic event and a new era in
Israel’s security and strategic strength which will allow
Israel to maintain its military qualitative edge in order to cope
with the challenges both near and far for many years; the deal also
holds tremendous importance for the national economy through the
manufacturer’s commitment to purchase billions of dollars
worth of equipment from Israeli industries”, Shani said
during the signing ceremony. He added that it is Israel’s
intention to acquire additional F-35s “We have an option to
purchase more aircraft”, he noted, adding that “the
deal is an additional expression of the strategic alliance and of
our friendly relations with the United States, and of their support
of the Israeli qualitative edge.”
Delivery is scheduled to begin in 2015 and should last two
years. The agreement was signed upon approval by the government,
the Knesset and the Ministry of Defense.
File Photo
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining
advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor
information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment, and
lower operational and support costs.
Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal
industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two
separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the
Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team
F136.
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