Posted on 02/20/2012 8:36:38 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
IAF looking for second stealth fighter squadron
By YAAKOV KATZ
21/02/2012
Goal is to qualify for long-range missions; if ordered over next year, more F-35s could arrive by 2020.
The Israel Air Force is moving forward with plans to purchase a second squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and hopes to be able to place the order in the coming year and after resolving the standoff with the Treasury over the defense budget.
According to initial plans, the IAF would place the order for the second squadron in late 2012-early 2013 and begin receiving the planes in 2020. It is possible however that the US would attach the new squadron to the one ordered in 2010 and expedite the delivery if the order is placed soon.
Israel finalized the procurement of its first squadron of 20 F-35s in a $2.75 billion deal in October, 2010. The aircraft are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and IAF pilots are expected to begin training on them in the US in 2016 with their planned arrival in Israel in early 2017.
IAF chief Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan, who will step down in April, was a big proponent of the deal and overcame heavy opposition within the defense establishment to gain the government’s approval for the 2010 deal.
His successor, current head of the IDF Planning Directorate Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel, was also supportive of the deal and is expected to push for the second squadron immediately after taking up the post in a month.
The fifth-generation stealth F-35 is purported to be one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world with the ability to fly undetected in enemy territory.
Its uniqueness stems not only from its stealth capabilities but also from its integrated sensor suite that provides pilots with unprecedented situational awareness and enables information sharing between the various aircraft.
The second contract would likely be for a similar number of aircraft and could mean – depending on when the second deal is signed – that the IAF could have 40 operational aircraft by the end of the decade. Nehushtan recently decided that the F- 35s would be operated out of the Nevatim air force base in the Negev.
News of the possible procurement of a second squadron comes amid increasing speculation that Israel is preparing to launch an aerial strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In recent years, the IAF has invested in qualifying some of its older model aircraft for long-range strike missions. In addition to the F-15I and F-16I, the IAF has reportedly already qualified an additional two F-15 squadrons for long-range missions armed with smart bombs and conformal fuel tanks.
The IAF is also moving forward with the Barak 2020 program aimed at extending the lifespan of its F-16 C/D models to the next decade.
The first aircraft arrived in the 1980s.
The upgrades include the installation of new systems for avionics, mission-debriefing and flight-control system.
The aircraft will also be fitted with new central display units and high-resolution screens aimed at increasing pilots’ situational awareness.
they don’t have until 2020
they need them now
I hope they have some cards up the sleeve
>>> "IAF looking for second STEALTH fighter squadron."<<<
Ugh,,,uh,,,,hmmmm,,, but,,,,,but,,, if it's STEALTH, there's a good chance they won't find it.
hehe I see what you did there :)
The F-35 won’t be a “stealth” anymore in 2020. First of all, it already isn’t. From the rear it is already accepting less than perfect stealth to maintain its already dog performance.
But stealth as something we expect to last more than 5 years is a joke. These airframes will fly 25 years or more,,
Can we imagine the computer power in 5 or 8 years? In 15??
Stealth is nothing more than playing with the inability of radars of the pre-uberdigital era to understand and interpret the signal that they DO receive. As we all know, processing power is exploding at an exponential rate,, but aircraft are up against a hard physical reality of how “stealthy” they can become.
The game of hiding and detection is one that the radar is destined to win. It was good while it lasted,, but we are kidding ourselves to think stealth will work more than a few more years.
This is the new F-300 air defense fighter that can out-dogfight the best enemy fighters and go Mach 3. The fighter pilots love it.
But, the F-300 has to do ground support, so we hang 15,000 pounds of ordnance on it.
But, all the ordnance cuts our range by 50 percent and so we sacrifice ordnance for two 500 gallon fuel drop tanks.
But, to survive in today's highly effective air defenses, we have to sacrifice ordnance and fuel to add effective active and passive electronic countermeasures*.
*Note: 500-mile extension cord is not shown.
Israeli pilots will begin training on the new aircraft by 2014 and the first aircraft are expected to arrive in Israel by 2015. The first squadron could become operational in less than two years at one of the Israel Air Force (IAF) southern air bases. Four Israeli pilots have already flew in the F-35 simulator in the U.S.A. The F-35 cockpit and avionics are not strange to the Israelis. Elbit Systems is the supplier of the advanced Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), which provides the pilot’s primary interface with the aircraft.Another opportunity for the F-35 community is the employment of a new escort jammer developed by Israel. Israeli EW systems are often offered with full access to the Electronic Warfare techniques generator, while U.S. jammers often rely on highly classified operating modes restricting the export of such systems.
Another part of this deal,is the deal will allow the installation of Israeli systems in the planes not only for the Israel Air Force, but for additional clients - worth at least $4 billion. It is estimated that future investment in the Israeli industry could amount to $5 billion.
They are also proceeding with their Barak 2020 program that will update their F-16
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
