EXCLUSIVE - U.S. pitches unique F-35 fighter jet to Israel

[ensho]

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-44187120091124?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FINworldNews+%28News+%2F+IN+%2F+World+News%29&utm_content=Twitter&sp=true


The United States has offered to add Israeli systems and munitions to a new U.S.-built fighter jet and deliver it to Israel by 2015, provided a deal is sealed in coming months.

Lockheed Martin Corp, maker of the radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, would tie in Israeli-built command, control, communications, computer and intelligence systems for a unique version of the jet for sale to Israel, Jon Schreiber, a senior Pentagon program official, told Reuters Monday.

The United States also would integrate bombs that use an Israeli precision guidance kit called Spice along with Python 5 air-to-air missiles made by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Schreiber said in an interview.

In addition, he said, Israel would get a relatively inexpensive path for hardware and software upgrades to add future weapons.

On the other hand, the United States does not plan for now to put an Israeli electronic warfare system aboard the F-35, which is in early stages of production.
-snip-
----------------------------


isn't that sweet of us

the US military empire marches ever onward

[GodlessBiker]

1. Unique fighter jet? What, it comes with a shabbos goy? Bhadda-bing.

[ixion]

2. and people wonder why we're always at war

look no further than Uncle Sam.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Far from exclusive content. The process had been underway for quite some time

This latest step was all over trade press for the last couple of days

[benld74]

4. WAR TOYS for the masses!

Finding better ways to inflict harm to the human being.
WE do it best

[no_hypocrisy]

5. And are we buying it for Israel too?

[oberliner]

6. Did you read the article?

Perhaps you should.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Here's my take:

Israel pays for the aircraft at its option. If it does, it uses financial aid provided to it by this country, hence technically they buy it but it's our money.

[oberliner]

8. Yes, exactly

Most of the military aid the US sends to Israel comes back to the US. Specifically, the US defense industry.

Edit to add: I think that's how a fair amount of our foreign aid works!

[Recursion]

11. Foreign aid is usually hidden domestic pork

So when we say, for instance, we've sent this many billion dollars to African countries or that many billion to Pakistan, it's important to keep in mind most of it just wound up in the accounts of domestic contractors.

[Recursion]

10. Only in the sense of the Stupak amendment

Most (all?) of our foreign aid cannot be used directly to purchase weapons systems, though it frees up other monies to do that.

Actually like most weapons deals it's mostly domestic pork for the manufacturer in question.

[Jefferson23]

9. "We never forget who we're working for", Lockheed Martin

As if there were ever any doubt.