Israel completes order of 17 stealth fighter jets
Jewish state finalises purchase of F-35 planes from Lockheed Martin in a deal worth over a billion pounds
Israel finalised a deal to order 17 more F-35 stealth fighter jets from the U.S. company Lockheed Martin.
The planes were originally authorised and ordered in November 2016, but the negotiations with the company were completed over the weekend, according to reports.
Each plane costs about £77 million ($100 million). The money comes from the 10-year, £29 billion ($38 billion) U.S. military aid package for Israel signed by President Barak Obama in September 2016. Most of the aid must be spent in the United States. The order brings to 50 the number of F-35s to be built for Israel.
Two of the F-35 jets arrived in Israel in December and were part of a hand-over ceremony from their American pilots to their Israeli pilots.
The planes are known in Israel by the moniker “Adir,” or Mighty. Six more are scheduled to arrive in Israel this year.
Delivery of all the planes is scheduled to be completed by December 2024. The planes will be fitted with unique capabilities and advanced Israeli weapon systems, Ynet reported.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
