The Israeli Defense Ministry said Sunday that Israel will acquire a third fleet of Lockheed Martin-made F-35 fighter jets using US military aid funds.
The deal for 25 F-35 fighter jets is estimated to cost about $3 billion and will be purchased through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), a US State Department program that gives foreign governments money to buy US arms.
The Israeli arms industry will also benefit from the deal. The Israeli Defense Ministry said that as part of the agreement, Lockheed Martin and the engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney, have “committed to involving Israeli defense industries in the production of aircraft components sold.”
“This new agreement will ensure the continuation of cooperation between American companies and Israeli defense industries in the production of aircraft parts,” the Israeli Defense Ministry added.
The US and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2016 that gives Israel $33 billion in FMF and $5 billion in aid for missile defense systems over 10 years. The MOU covers Fiscal Year 2019 to FY2028, giving Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually.
In 2022, Israel got an extra $1 billion in military aid from the US to go toward its Iron Dome missile defense system. Israel requested $1 billion in additional aid following a May 2021 bombing campaign in Gaza that killed at least 256 Palestinians, including 67 children.
“Israel to Get New Fleet of F-35s Financed by US Aid” to shower more freedom, democracy, and peace over the middle east. …What’s that? How will more bombers bring peace? …Easy. They will, once they finish killing the Palestinians and all their neighbors. …Shut up. No more stupid questions. (Sarcasm alert)
Israel will need these planes to deliver the nukes it has when the jig is up and it’s time for the Samson Option.
It’s hard to make friends if you keep threatening them with the Samson option.
Disgusting…
In the Neocon master plan for global war Israel is to cover possible adverse Mid-East players -destroy Iran and keep Turkey honest, while NATO Europe fights Russia, and US and Korea subjugate China.
In the event is there any doubt Israel would betray Washington if it came to ground combat?
The United States of Israel….!
So basically FREE BEES .
so this is happening despite the US government claiming it disapproves of Israel’s latest land grab
“we disapprove! (but here are some new improved ones, wink wink nod)
…. uncle sam
Well, it’s a goddamned good thing, because today’s news indicated that the Palestinians have smuggled in a cache of slingshots.
I am abjectly ashamed to be an Amerikkkan (by birth only, however; not in spirit.)
And my blood boils to acknowledge that yours and my taxpayer $$$ are funding this disgrace.
As regards the Alzheimer’s-in-Chief: can I mention ( just in passing, of course!) the term “drawn and quartered”?
Let’s make sure the Palestinians get a few more worthless rockets also. That seems fair.
re: The Israeli Defense Ministry said Sunday that Israel will acquire a third fleet of Lockheed Martin-made F-35 fighter jets using US military aid funds. The deal for 25 F-35 fighter jets is estimated to cost about $3 billion and will be purchased through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), a US State Department program that gives foreign governments money to buy US arms.
>25 for three billion is $120 million each, about double what they were intended to cost.
also:
>April 3: The U.S. Military’s fleet of F-35 is reportedly suffering from very lower availability rates due to a range of maintenance issues and performance defects, with the manager of the fighter program Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Schmidt reporting that only around 30 percent of the aircraft in service are capable of flying all their missions.
>May 23: The Pentagon isn’t keeping track of tens of thousands of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets worth millions of dollars because it was unclear who is responsible for doing it, according to a congressional audit
>May 24: F-35 Program Completes Band-Aid Fix for Engine . . .
All jets had received the modification earlier this month, but the Pentagon is still trying to figure out why a mysterious vibration is happening.
>May 30: The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program is DOD’s most expensive weapon system program. DOD estimates it will cost nearly $1.7 trillion to buy, operate, and sustain the aircraft and systems over its lifetime.
>June 28: Pentagon Could Block 80-Plus Deliveries of F-35s . . .The Pentagon has stopped accepting newly built stealth fighters from Lockheed until tech trials are finished.
>Operational testing of F-35 has been continually delayed, so the F-35 system is not yet cleared for mass production.