미국, F-35 무장 이스라엘제 허용...F-35 Israel version

 

미국이 이스라엘에 F-35 JSF 판매 제안을 했다는 로이터발 기사입니다. 내용을 간추려보면, 우선 이스라엘이 희망하는

자국산 정밀유도 무기인 스파이스와 파이톤-5 및 이스라엘 제조 C4I 시스템 장착 허용, 2015년 인도 가능 등입니다.

 

한마디로 이스라엘만을 위한 unique 한 모델로 제공/판매하겠다는 미국의 제안 입니다. 다만, 그동안 이스라엘이 지속적

으로 요구해 오던 전자전장비, 즉 이스라엘 IAI 사가 만드는 EW 시스템의 장착은 허용하지 않는다고 하는데요. 기사에

의하면 추후 협상을 통해 장착 가능성은 남겨놨다는 내용에 더 관심이 갑니다. 일정기간이 지나든가 혹은 일정 물량 이상

공급이 본 궤도에 이르면 장착이 가능할 것으로 판단됩니다.

 

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Rafael SPICE Precision Guided Munition

 

 

US pitches unique F-35 fighter jet to Israel

Reuters News    11/24/2009

Author: Jim Wolf

(C) Reuters Limited 2009.

 

 

WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - 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 (LMT.N), 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.

 

"Some time in the future, if policy changes, or things change, that could change as well," said Schreiber, who heads the F-35 program's international program for the Pentagon.

 

Dropping plans for incorporating electronic warfare systems would be a significant switch for Israel, which bought modified U.S.-built F-15s and F-16s to incorporate such know-how.

 

The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin are eager to wrap up an F-35 deal with Israel, which is tentatively planning to buy an initial 25 F-35s in fiscal 2012 with an option for 50 more.

 

The single-engine aircraft, designed to avoid detection by radar, could play a role in any Israeli effort to knock out what it regards as the threat to its existence posed by Iran's nuclear program.

 

Schreiber said he met Israeli procurement officials in New York last week to discuss a "roadmap" for the proposed government-to-government F-35 sale.

 

The United States planned to submit its offer and prices formally in January, he said. Israel must approve this no later than March and reach a deal with Lockheed on integrating the Israeli weapons and other systems by June or July, he added, to buy in fiscal 2012 for delivery in 2015.

 

The Israeli defense ministry did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Lockheed had no comment.

 

Schreiber declined to discuss prices other than to say that Israel would buy the basic aircraft at the same price as the United States and its co-development partners, plus a standard government-to-government sales commission and whatever the integration of its systems might cost. Israel uses U.S. security assistance to buy much of its arsenal.

 

The United States co-developed the F-35 with eight foreign partners -- Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway. Together, the core group is projected to buy about 730 aircraft.

 

Schreiber said the United States had not yet begun to market the F-35 to any other potential buyers in the Middle East. The United States is committed to maintaining Israel's "qualitative" military edge over any regional rival.