Forum: General F-35 Forum

Israel makes fresh push to perform F-35 maintenance By: Arie Egozi | Tel Aviv 24 Jan 2012

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ce-367277/

"Israel's air force has again expressed its opposition to the idea of performing heavy maintenance work on its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft outside Israel.

As part of the US stealth fighter programme, Lockheed and the US Air Force want to establish regional maintenance centres for the F-35, with one such facility planned for Italy.

During recent talks between the Israeli air force and the USAF, Israel's opposition to using an overseas facility was underlined. A source close to the issue said the Americans understand the Israeli service's "special needs", and that alternative ways are now being evaluated to perform heavy maintenance on the F-35 at its own bases.

Deliveries from Israel's first order for 20 conventional take-off and landing F-35As are expected to start in early 2017, the source said, adding there is also an understanding that the air force will get permission to interface some Israeli-developed systems or equipment following their arrival.

This possibility applies mainly to the aircraft's electronic warfare suite, as previous Israeli requests to equip the type with domestically manufactured equipment were rejected."

Interesting! that brings me to another issue, if Italy wo'nt order the planes in the coming LRIP-6 as scheduled or in any other close batch, doe's LM still gonna build there the Europe's main logistic and service center?

That article is wrong.

Many maintenance items can and will be handled by the end user. The maintenance facilities in the US and Italy (and soon to be Japan) are for the most serious fixes requiring a teardown.

IIRC: Each will usually enter an PBL type contract with an firm, like L3, who will do most depot related work. As you say, the most serious issues (like a complete refurb) will occur in places like US, Italy and Japan. Even then its questionable if that will occur for some countries like Turkey, Australia the UK and the Netherlands.

Agreed. I don't see them backtracking on the F-35s. Outnumbered by hostile neighbors who are stocking up with increasingly advanced kit, Israel needs to maintain a technological edge.. Does Israel really face that serious a naval threat to justify the levels of spending for advanced warships?

popcorn - do you have a reference to the statement about neighbors stocking up with increasingly advanced kits? It seems to me that on balance many of Israeli's nearby real threats are not advancing in a way that will interfere with IAF operations substantially. There have been a lot of missile and guerrilla warfare advances uncomfortably close, but a 4thGen aircraft will be just as effective against those as a 5thGen.

Not to go off topic too far but what are the threat nations so that I can get a numerical measure to work with here. Some neighbors seem to be just posing as threats in their statements to satisfy internal consumers, but would really sooner attack Antarctica than Israel.

popcorn - do you have a reference to the statement about neighbors stocking up with increasingly advanced kits? It seems to me that on balance many of Israeli's nearby real threats are not advancing in a way that will interfere with IAF operations substantially. There have been a lot of missile and guerrilla warfare advances uncomfortably close, but a 4thGen aircraft will be just as effective against those as a 5thGen.

If I may, the tech of the countries in the region do mandate 5th gen to defend Israel (lots of 4+ gen F-16's to name one). And as for whether or not the countries are actual threats. I think 2 factors hold back a major assault on Israel, much like the many attempts in the last 40+ years. The surrounding countries are uncertain if they could win (Israel's tech advantage) and to a lesser degree the wrath of the West (any action at a minimum would cut off all foreign aid and incur an embargo from the US and likely NATO, EU and maybe the UN (Russia and China may veto)). I think Syria, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine definitely, and Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iraq probably would like to see Israel gone and there is a lot of high end tech in that group.

Just my thoughts from studying history and paying attention to the region.

Sufa Viper

Israel makes fresh push to perform F-35 maintenance By: Arie Egozi | Tel Aviv 24 Jan 2012

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ce-367277/

"Israel's air force has again expressed its opposition to the idea of performing heavy maintenance work on its future fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft outside Israel.

As part of the US stealth fighter programme, Lockheed and the US Air Force want to establish regional maintenance centres for the F-35, with one such facility planned for Italy.

During recent talks between the Israeli air force and the USAF, Israel's opposition to using an overseas facility was underlined. A source close to the issue said the Americans understand the Israeli service's "special needs", and that alternative ways are now being evaluated to perform heavy maintenance on the F-35 at its own bases.

Deliveries from Israel's first order for 20 conventional take-off and landing F-35As are expected to start in early 2017, the source said, adding there is also an understanding that the air force will get permission to interface some Israeli-developed systems or equipment following their arrival.

This possibility applies mainly to the aircraft's electronic warfare suite, as previous Israeli requests to equip the type with domestically manufactured equipment were rejected."

Is it me or am I the only one that thinks the first time the F-35 go's into combat it may well be for Isreal? Just like the F-16 and F-15 I belive.
TSFG

Each item they have been given (and paid for by their lost loved ones) has been physically modified (usually improving) or used in unconventional tactics that exceed the US systems tests or operational concepts. I too agree, that they will be first to test the war-fighting capabilities of the JSF against whomever is tired of sharpening their swords.....and then, all of our "hot air" will be proved or disproved, in blood.

If Israel's neighbors get S-300/400, and other double digit SAMs, then a 4th Gen aircraft won't be particularly useful compared to a 5th Gen.