15 SEPTEMBER, 2016 BY: LEIGH GIANGRECO WASHINGTON DC
US and Israeli diplomats announced the largest
military assistance package in US history on 14 September in a $38 billion,
10-year package that will deliver an assortment of American-designed weapon
systems, including Lockheed Martin F-35 and Boeing F-15 fighters to Tel Aviv.
The agreement, which takes effect on 1 October 2018, pledges $38
billion to Israel over the next decade, including $33 billion in foreign
military financing funds and $5 billion for missile defense, US national
security advisor Susan Rice said.
In a surprise move, Rice added to the F-15E to the mix of weapon
systems on the agenda for the 10-year aid package, perhaps reducing funds
available to purchase Israel’s planned complement of 75 F-35I Adirs.
“This additional funding will allow Israel to update the lion’s
share of its fighter aircraft fleet, including the acquisition of additional
F-35s and F-15s,” she says.
Boeing referred questions about the agreement to the US and
Israeli air forces, who were not immediately available for comment.
As Israel prepares for the delivery of the first F-35I Adir to
Nevatim Air Base in December, the inclusion of F-15s in the deal could affect
the mix of F-35s and F-15s in their fleet. While Israel defence officials
requested more F-15 squadrons in 2015 as part of a “compensation package”
following the US’s decision to lift sanctions against Iran, industry sources
later told FlightGlobal that acquiring additional F-15s was unlikely.
Still, the agreement provides solid backing for the F-35
programme from Israel. The US has approved the sale of up to 75 F-35s to Israel
and the country has signed contracts for 33 F-35s, the last of which will
arrive around 2021, FlightGlobal previously reported.
During the unveiling of the F-35I Adir in Texas earlier this
summer, Israeli air force chief of staff Brigadier Gen. Tal Kelman recommended
the purchase of 17 additional F-35As. In addition to the conventional takeoff
variant, Israel is also mulling over the short takeoff and vertical landing
(STOVL) F-35B, but that purchase would depend on additional F-35A buys. While
Israeli officials would not comment this week on the MOU’s effect on
discussions for a STOVL variant or a renewed V-22 purchase, Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at the need for a vertical takeoff aircraft
in July.
The memorandum of understanding, signed by Israeli national
security adviser Jacob Nagel and US under secretary of state for political
affairsTom Shannon, comes after intense negotiations between the two
nations. As the US faces tightening budgets and a gridlocked Congress, the
agreement promises an unprecedented aid package and a steady stream of funding
over the next 10 years that will be protected from political turmoil.
“For years, US funding for missile defense has been subject to
uncertainty of the annual appropriations process,” Rice says. “Some years the
funding has been unclear for months at a time, some years it’s been in decline.
With this funding [Israel] will be able to count on a steady multi-year
commitment.”
Original post: flightglobal
F-15E ‘Strike’ Eagle
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