Israel signs deal to buy 14 more F-35 stealth jets
Xinhua, February 23, 2015 Adjust font size:
Israel signed a deal to purchase 14 additional U.S.-made F-35 warplanes for 2.82 billion U.S. dollars, Israel's Defense Ministry said Sunday.
The deal adds to a fleet of 19 F-35s, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp, which were bought in 2010.
The deal, approved by the Israeli cabinet last December, was signed over the weekend, the ministry said in a statement. The deal includes an option for 17 more fighter jets in the future.
The first two planes are expected to land in Israel in late 2016, with the rest of the planes are scheduled to arrive by 2021, according to the ministry.
The F-35, also known as Joint Strike Fighter, has stealth capability that makes it nearly invisible to radars.
The F-35 is part of the Pentagon's 400-billion-dollar program to develop and build the next generation of jet fighters that will replace current warplanes of the U.S. and some of its allies.
Citing the need to ensure its military's qualitative edge in the region, Israel plans to replace its fleet of F-16 jet fighters with the new F-35. Endit