An F-35C Lightning II at Hill Force Base, Utah on April 15, 2016. R. NIAL BRADSHAW/U.S. AIR FORCE
Wired: Why Only Israel Can Customize America's F-35 (At Least for Now)
ANY BIG-TICKET MILITARY technology purchased from the US comes with rules. Big stacks of strict guidelines outline exactly what allies can do to the hardware and the systems that run it. Generally, it comes down to: nothing. No modifications, no additions, no deletions. You can’t even make repairs without written consent from the Pentagon.
Uncle Sam typically responds to such requests with a resounding no, especially when the hardware in question is the wildly advanced (and wildly over budget) F-35 Lightning II Joint Striker Fighter. The stealth fighter jet, which Lockheed Martin is selling to US allies, comes with caveats that expressly prohibit unauthorized tinkering and a requirement that only US-run facilities service the plane. These rules, designed to protect deeply intertwined systems and maintain the security of sensitive technology, are non-negotiable.
Unless you are Israel.
Read more ....
Update #1: Israel will be only country permitted to modify F-35 jet: report (i24 News)
Update #2: Israel's 'Custom' F-35 Stealth Fighter: A Lethal, High-Tech Wonder Weapon? (National Interest)
WNU Editor: I am sure that other countries will (with time) get the same deal. But what struck me about the above Wired report is the Israeli demand for even more than the $40 billion in U.S. military aid that Washington has promised them for the next decade.
2 comments:
While I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of the claim, the first paragraph seems ridiculous on it's face. If the buyer of the system is unable to make any and all modifications to the system to tailor it to their needs or even make repairs as they deem neccessary at a time and place by whatever personnel they see fit based upon their unique situations, the system is going to not only going to be worthless but will have negative utility. In other words, no one would want to buy it and the entity imposing such restrictions would lose market share. As such, there seems to something missing from the analysis of this article.
I reasons given for lack of restrictions placed on Israel make since given thd flexibilty they need as they could be at war at any time. I think the article does not focus enough on Israeli innovativness. Not only are they lkkely to make the F-35 better but unlike some "allies" the Israelis can actually be trusted to share their modifications with us and help us integrate ghem into our own fleet.
The underlying link regarding the $40 billion in aid is misleading. It suggests the United States is somehow being generous. Given the enormous restraints often placed on Israel by the United States as a condition of this aid, both America and Israel would be better off with less aid not more.
Without that aid israel wpuld be a pigeon not a hawke
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