via Reuters...below are the highlights (which I've highlighted!)...
Read it and weep critics! Its over. This program is beyond paring back and its beyond attempts at cancellation. Its truly international in scope and with Turkey buying extra fighters and Israel finally getting off the fence, this program can easily absorb any reduction in buys from wavering partner nations and still deliver on the promise of affordability.The United States and Israel are days away from reaching an agreement on the sale of 19 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 fighter jets, which would be the first foreign military sale of the new warplane."The ball is in their court," Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, who heads the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, told Reuters at the Farnborough Airshow.
"I am waiting for them to make a decision any day," said Wieringa, who is retiring at the end of the month.
Lockheed declined comment on the status of the arms deal, since it will be concluded between the U.S. and Israeli governments, but said the fact that Israel wants to buy the new F-35 fighter underscored global confidence in the jet.
Analysts say the deal is worth about $3 billion.
"When they select F-35, we believe it's a testimony to the capabilities of the jet," Steve O'Bryan, Lockheed's vice president for F-35 business development, told Reuters, noting that Israel faces some formidable security challenges.
Lockheed said it is close to reaching an agreement with the U.S. government on procurement of a fourth batch of 32 F-35 fighters, and a deal could come "any day."
Company officials, speaking in interviews and at a news conference, underscored their commitment to working with the Pentagon to continue driving down the cost of the F-35 program -- at over $300 billion the biggest weapons program in history.
O'Bryan said the contract for the fourth batch of airplanes would be 20 percent lower than that of the previous batch of fighters, and half the price of the first batch.
You've lost F-35 haters.
Listen to urself. It's as if someone just stepped on ur favorite pet. That's so... pediatric, Sol.
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous...the definition of pediatric is....
ReplyDeletePediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i'm sounding like i'm caring for infants, children and adolescents? sounds about right. that's how i view F-35 critics.
Sol, whats teh agreement on sourcecode sharing? i know one thing that held it up was the isrealis wanted their own software and some hardware on it and that would mean tech transfer the US balked at, does it seem liek they will buy the planes as is or what?
ReplyDeleteif the Israeli's buy it or not is up to them but many in the US are still chafing at the LAVI affair and the Chinese.
ReplyDeletehow do you think that they developed the J-10??? with Israeli assistance!
tech transfers only help other governments that may or may not play by our rules. that's why tech transfer to the UK is so tricky. i know for a fact that the French have attempted industrial espionage in relation to our stealth programs and if we give the Brits the key then we might as well give it to the French too.
No Fucking Way!!
Sol, i agree, this BS about them selling the mistral is obviously a way for russia to get the weapons on it, russia has no real need nor the money for a gator like that. I also am angered that we are the ONLY ones ensuring isreals existence (without our money or military support they would be nothing) and yet they stab us in the back by giving secrets to those who will fight against us? what bastards.
ReplyDeleteOK off my soapbox, sorry.
i'm usually a supporter of the Israeli's...they've been fighting this war on terror alot longer than we have but do me a favor Joe.
ReplyDeletego to some of the Israeli message boards. if you think the Neo-Nazi's hate them you should read some of the comments by them about the US.
not pretty. not pretty at all.
Keep your enemies close ,, But keep your "friends" closer !!!,,,,
ReplyDelete