The Phantom Against the Iranian Threat (Al Jazeera, Qatar)

October 12 2010 1

The military called the fifth-generation American combat vehicle "stealth fighter." In the Middle East, F-35 is dubbed the “ghost”. US and Israel have signed a supply contract weapons, and after the new “Phantom” goes into series, the Jewish state intends to purchase 20 aircraft, which will form the backbone of the IDF air force squadrons in the next decade.

Interest in the "flying novelty" in Israel is great. The prototype of the fighter is already ready, and its tests proved that the radars "do not see" the car. The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, commenting on the deal, said the Phantom of the latest modification is the most modern fighter in the world and buying a batch of cars will strengthen the country's defense against any threat, no matter where it comes from. Of course, as is customary in such cases, the strategic and historical event value. The military, for their part, are more frank: Tel Aviv will not stand behind the price when it comes to the Iranian threat.

In their opinion, the main advantage of a combat vehicle is that it is inaccessible to Middle Eastern locators. And if there is a military need, such fighters, without being highlighted on the indicators of the circular survey of Iranian radars, will be able to freely enter the airspace of the Islamic Republic. Evaluating the acquisition, the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Director General, Ehud Shani, emphasized that the “Ghost” will allow “weighting the scales of military confrontation in the Middle East in our favor.” He did not rule out that it is possible to acquire several similar fighters, in which "we intervene technologically". Experts explain that the military official is referring to the fighter design of some elements of the onboard equipment, navigation system and weapons produced in Israel, tested in conditions of Middle Eastern hostilities. That is not approved by a strategic ally and becomes a stumbling block in the relationship.

A considerable burden of expenses falls on the shoulders of Israeli taxpayers: the mere cost of contracts for the creation of an engine for the Ghost, exceeds 2,5 billion dollars. Well, the price of a fighter after the launch of the series will be up to forty million dollars. “Invisible! - a source of pride and the Pentagon: the F-35 fighter jets will put into service the American army for two years and replace the current modifications of the F-16 and F / A-18 with them.