US defense secretary in Israel as country gets F-35 jets

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was visiting Israel as it prepared to receive today the first two next-generation F-35 fighter jets that will help preserve the country’s military edge in the volatile Mideast.

The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, with an estimated cost of nearly USD400 billion. Israel is among a small number of allies to get the plane, with the first expected later in the day.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the fighter jets “present another component in maintaining air superiority in our region” and expressed gratitude to Carter, who was welcomed with a military honor guard at a Tel Aviv army base.

The deputy commander of the Nevatim Air Force base in southern Israel said the new fighters will give Israel an upper hand over its neighbors for years to come.

“We are going to be very strong for a long time, having these airplanes. And Israel has to be strong in this region for its existence,” said Col. Asaf, who could be identified only by his first name in line with military regulations. “It’s a message for everybody that Israel will keep on holding the high-end technology in this area.”

The purchase of the F35 elevates the entire Israeli air force to a higher level, the colonel said, adding that four Israeli pilots have been trained to fly the F-35 and more pilots will be shown how to use the war system.

“This specific airplane is going to be a very good one for the next decades,” he said, lauding the F-35’s capabilities, including stealth and other high-tech technologies.

In recent years, Israel has reportedly carried out long-
range airstrikes as far away as Sudan, and is believed to have struck Hezbollah-bound weapons’ shipments in neighboring Syria.

Israel has also hinted in the past at making plans to strike Iran, some 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) away, if the Islamic Republic presses forward with a nuclear program it considers suspect. The threat of Israeli action in Iran has dropped following the international community’s deal with Tehran last year to curb its nuclear program.

The Pentagon’s F-35 program has been criticized by members of the U.S. Congress over testing problems, delays and cost overruns. International buyers include Britain, South Korea, Israel, Italy, Australia, Canada, Turkey and Japan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced last month that his Security Cabinet approved the purchase of 17 additional F-35s. In all, it said, the acquisition will bring the number of planes the air force will get to 50.  Robert Burns, Tel Aviv, AP