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Israel buys F-35 jets with eyes on Iran
UPI ^ | 10/8/2010 | UPI

Posted on 10/08/2010 9:32:44 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld

Israel's purchase of 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, the world's most advanced combat jets, significantly enhances the Jewish state's ability to defend itself "by itself," in the words of U.N. Ambassador Michael Oren.

His comment following Thursday's contract signing in New York, is a clear reference to possible conflict with Iran, against whose nuclear installations Israel has threatened to launch pre-emptive strikes.

However, Israel is unlikely to take delivery of the first of the fifth- generation fighters until 2015 at the earliest, with completion scheduled for 2017.

That should rule the F-35s out of any long-range mission against Iran for at least four years, by which time the Tehran regime may already have developed a nuclear weapon.

The $2.75 billion contract was signed by the director-general of Israel's Defense Ministry, retired Maj. Gen. Ehud Shani, and the Deputy Undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force Heidi Honecker Grant after several years of tortuous negotiations.

(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aerospace; constructionfreeze; f35; idf; iran; israel; jsf; settlementfreeze

1 posted on 10/08/2010 9:32:47 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
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To: ErnstStavroBlofeld
Good news!

Iran can be their project.

2 posted on 10/08/2010 9:34:26 PM PDT by Walts Ice Pick
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To: Walts Ice Pick

seems like obama would have stopped this


3 posted on 10/08/2010 9:35:37 PM PDT by stickywillie
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To: Walts Ice Pick

seems like obama would have stopped this


4 posted on 10/08/2010 9:35:41 PM PDT by stickywillie
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To: stickywillie

One way or another, I suspect we may have paid for them.


5 posted on 10/08/2010 9:37:13 PM PDT by Walts Ice Pick
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To: stickywillie

seems like obama would have stopped this


It sure does. Maybe there was some pre-0bama agreement.


6 posted on 10/08/2010 10:10:56 PM PDT by unkus
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If Obama gave a d*mn and had any stones, we’d lend them to Israel - complete with pilots and support.


7 posted on 10/09/2010 12:30:28 AM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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