By Marina Malenic
The Israeli government has signed a contract to buy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to replace the country’s aging fighters, prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT] said yesterday.
Under the contract signed in New York yesterday by Ehud Shani, director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Israel will get 20 F-35s in 2016, with an option for up to 55 more jets. The initial deal is worth $3 billion.
“We’re very pleased with the government of Israel’s decision to move forward with the U.S. government’s Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the F-35,” said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president.
F-35 test flights resumed earlier this week after corrections were made to a software flaw with the jet’s fuel pumps that resulted in a four-day grounding (Defense Daily, Oct. 7).
Lockheed Martin is developing three variants of the airplane–a conventional takeoff and landing A model for the Air Force; a short takeoff and vertical landing B model for the Marine Corps; and a carrier variant C model for the Navy. The United States also has several international partners on the venture.
Israel is to be the first foreign customer to receive the planes, according to Lockheed Martin.
The Pentagon plans to buy 2,473 F-35s, and eight international partners are expected to buy another 700.