Israel ups order for US-made F-35 stealth fighter jets to 50
Israel has approved the purchase of 17 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets from the US, bringing the total order to 50 war planes.
On Sunday, the Tel Aviv regime’s security cabinet made the unanimous decision to increase its order for the stealth fighters, which are known to be one of the world’s most advanced and expensive fighter planes.
The newly ordered jets will make the Israeli air force able to equip two whole squadrons of the plane.
The fighters are being procured as part of a military aid deal between the US and Israel. The estimated coast for each plane is around $110 million.
In two weeks, the first pair of F-35s are scheduled to land at the Nevatim air force base after being flown from the US by American pilots.
According to congressional reports released earlier in the year, Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II. America's military assistance to Israel has amounted to $124.3 billion since it began in 1962.
In September, Washington and Tel Aviv agreed on a new package of at least $38 billion in US military aid over a 10-year period.
The deal requires at least $3.8 billion in annual aid, up from $3.1 billion per year under the current pact, which expires in 2018. Israel had originally requested at least $4.5 billion a year.
The new package will include money for Israeli missile systems, which until now has been funded separately by Congress. American lawmakers have given Israel about $600 million in annual funds for this purpose in recent years.
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