Lockheed Martin official says Israel’s first F-35 stealth fighter jets will be given to the Israel Air Force in the 2nd half of 2016.
The IAF has ordered 19 F-35s, with option to purchase 75.
Pilots refer to F-35 as “the iPad-generation aircraft.”
The Israel Air Force will receive its first F-35 fighter jets in the second half of 2016, a Lockheed Martin official said.
Israel has ordered 19 F-35s, for a total cost of $2.75 billion, and has the option to purchase a total of 75 F-35s.
Once these advanced stealth aircraft arrive in Israel, they will become the IAF’s spearhead, capable of conducting strategic long-range operations and remaining undetected by enemy radar systems.
The F-35 features touchscreen displays in the cockpit and is referred to by pilots as “the iPad-generation aircraft.”
Elbit Systems has designed a helmet for F-35 pilots to use and Israel Aerospace Industries will produce wings for the aircraft.
Currently, the IAF fighter jet fleet consists of F-15s and F-16s.
View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=6793