Wants Aircraft To Include 50 Percent Israeli-Made Technology

The Israeli Defense Ministry has told the Pentagon that to move forward with its purchase of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, it must be allowed to replace 50 percent of the aircraft's systems with Israeli-manufactured technology.

According to The Jerusalem Post, defence officials said Tuesday that the only way the JSF would be cost-effective for Israel is for some of the investment to go back to Israeli defense companies, as was the case with the wing boxes built for Israeli F-16's.

The official said Israel is not likely to give up its demand to be able to integrate its own radar and other electronic warfare systems in the F-35, and admitted that the Pentagon has already acceded to some of those requests. But Israel also wants access to the airplanes primary computer systems, preventing the installation of an alternative system.  Israel also wants the ability to maintain the aircraft, which the U.S. says it will not grant. "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?"

Israel has expressed a desire to purchase 25 of the $130 million fighters, which it says would give the country a greatly increased deterrence capacity in the Middle East.

FMI: www.goimod.com