At rollout ceremony for Israel’s first cutting edge F-35 stealth fighter, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman says jets will “safeguard Israel’s aerial superiority” • IAF chief of staff says F-35 flight simulator was like “holding the future in my hands.”
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman poses inside Israel’s first F-35 fighter jet at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas Wednesday | Photo credit: Defense Ministry
“The State of Israel is proud to be the first in our region to receive and operate the plane,” Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman remarked as Israel’s first cutting edge F-35 fighter jet was unveiled at a festive rollout ceremony at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas on Wednesday.
Lieberman described the jet as “the most advanced in the world, and is the choice of all our military leadership at its highest level for safeguarding Israel’s aerial superiority,” adding that “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.”
The Adir, or “mighty,” is the Hebrew name that has been given to the F-35. Israel has already purchased 33 jets and plans to purchase more in the future. The final package is dependent on talks over American security aid to Israel. The IAF is interested in ultimately introducing 75 Adirs into its fleet (to which the U.S. administration has already agreed in principle).
The defense minister was joined at the ceremony by Israeli Air Force Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Tal Kelman, who remarked that “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 cutting edge technology, lethality and the amazing man-machine interface will lead the world to the fifth generation.”
Also at the ceremony, attended by more than 400 guests, were U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, Minister Without Portfolio Tzachi Hanegbi, Deputy Undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force for International Affairs Heidi Grant, F-35 Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas State Congressman Craig Goldman, among other distinguished guests.
The jet’s assembly line, stretching 1.7 kilometers (about a mile), was decorated with Israeli flags, and a corner was designated to highlighting the Israeli aspects of the F-35 project: The pilots’ helmets, manufactured by Elbit, the wings, partially manufactured by the Israel Aerospace Industries, and various materials used in the body of the plane, manufactured by Elbit Systems — Cyclone.
A tour of the Lockheed Martin plant reveals plenty of additional Israeli assets — the second F-35, which will be completed soon, has already been painted and is now undergoing stealth testing. The third and fourth aircraft are currently being assembled, and are expected to be completed sometime next year.
The first jet, unveiled Wednesday, will remain at the Texas plant for several more weeks. At the end of the rollout ceremony, it was returned its hangar, which is only accessible to authorized personnel. The aircraft will undergo several more weeks of testing on the ground before taking off on its maiden flight.
Initially, two F-35 jets will leave Texas for the Luke Air Force base in Arizona and will eventually arrive in Israel on Dec. 12. The jets are scheduled to begin Israeli Air Force flights immediately upon arrival. According to Lockheed Martin reps, Israeli pilots will require some 60 hours of simulator training to be equipped to fly the aircraft. Israeli teams comprising a squadron commander, experienced pilots and flight crews are already in the U.S. to train on the simulator and familiarize themselves with the aircraft before its arrival.
“Experts are all agreement that this is the best jet in the world, and we will do everything in our power to complete the deal,” Lieberman said this week of the immediate plan to purchase 17 additional F-35s, linking the purchase to current talks surrounding American defense aid.
Kelman remarked that the F-35 will likely become operational about a year after arriving in Israel — meaning December 2017. By then, Israel will have already welcomed nine aircraft into its fleet. He mentioned that half of the pilots’ training hours will be on simulators rather than actual flight hours, due to the enormous cost of operating the Adir (approximately $30,000 per hour in the air, as opposed to $16,000 for the F-16).
Before it is declared operational, the jet will be customized with a number of Israeli-made systems, particularly communications and electronic warfare systems, which will grant the air force operational autonomy without risk of exposure. For this reason, all the maintenance will also be done in Israel. The air force commander has previously declared that once it arrives, the F-35 “will only leave Israel for operational purposes.”
“This jet will place us on the global cutting edge,” Kelman concluded, surmising that it will be years before another country in the region obtains F-35 jets. “This aircraft is supposed to win battles for us even before it is discovered.”
“…….surmising that it will be years before another country in the region obtains F-35 jets.”
Don’t ya just love the naivete?
Charming.
No, really.
It’s high time that Israel opt out of any military aid from the US. I’m sick of the bad deals that Israel is subjected to in order to receive such aid. Israel needs to be free to proceed with her own independent military development that she is more than capable of succeeding in.
I wonder what secret deals Israel had to comply with the US in order to get this F35 which will surely cripple Israel’s own aircraft industry.