Forum: F-16 News

This is a discussion topic for the F-16.net news article: "Threat Matrix - Latest IDF F-16 purchase needed?". You can read the full forum discussion in the F-16.net forum.

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I think it is needed.

In this world you can't know who would threat you tomorrow.

In the case of Israel, it's important that the IDF would be ready to react to various threats, for example: aerial, maritime and ground, and also from close or far distances.

The last F-16 purchase, the F-16I deals, giving Israel the option to defend itself from such threats, for example, the Iranian threat.

Deepspace

Well, I believe those F-16's will be delivered. But budgetcuts are probably not far away.. So no new Longbow helicopter.

JanHas

There are already some budgetcuts, but I don't think the AH-64D would suffer from these, as the upgrade already started.

Deepspace

I don't want to make this political either, but I wonder if someone can clarify something for me.

The article states the jets were expensive and the money might have been better spent "in a country in which so many citizens cannot support their families, where the educational system is floundering and senior citizens are at the mercy of a collapsing health system". The implication is that the $4 billion was Israel's money in the first place.

I have heard on many occasions that the US supplies Isreal with a great deal of military aid monies (e.g. "billions"), to be used as credit to "purchase" military hardware like the F-15I and F-16I. If this is true then it wasn't Isreal's money to spend on improving the conditions quoted above, but only on military hardware from the US.

I don't want to get into an arguement on whether the aid is justified or not. I just want to know if the military funding comes from Israel or the US.

Does anyone know?

Habu2

Israel paid most of the F-16I deal from the aid package.

Deepspace

Probably yes. Israel is granted over $ 2.2 billion annually in military support. The Sufa's were paid with this money.

The military support Israel get's is almost as large as the total amount Belgium spends on Defence annually. Count on that! If we would receive such an aid package and almost double our defence budget, would we be able to buy such goodies!!! Wink

Bjorn

The funding does come from the U.S

Israel choose to add 3 years of funding together (1.5 Bil $ * 3) for the 4.5 Bil $ to cover the cost of 102 fighters. That sum is divided to those years & not paid at once.

It's sad that some reporters don't know all the facts & information before writing nonsense in the newspaper.

habu2 is right, that aid must be used to bay U.S stuff only.

I did do some research on the web on this question, and found many sites that state US military aid to Israel does amount to billions per year. They also state Israel claims to have never defaulted on repaying any of these loans, but then go on to say that the US Government "forgives" these loans and does not require repayment. I have my own personal thoughts on this type of "deal" but I want to keep this thread apolitical. It does appear that billions of dollars are spent on US military hardware instead of humanitarian efforts.

I have something to say here. Israel is a very small country in the position of being surrounded by enemies. If they didn't spend the money on defense, they likely wouldn't exist, so the question of humanitarian needs would be moot.

Humanitarian needs should never be a moot point! And IDF only needs F-16I for long range missions - rather agressive posture for such a small country - seams untenible at times does it not?

They should not ask for hand outs for such a aircraft. Defence procurement fine - I understand but for long range stuff the IDF should fund themselves!

What I meant about a moot point is that if Israel was overrun by another country, humanitarian needs would no longer be an issue as the country wouldn't exist anymore.

Quote:

And IDF only needs F-16I for long range missions - rather agressive posture for such a small country - seams untenible at times does it not?

How is the F-16 not good for short range missions? Also, where did you attend war college to be able to credibly assert that Israel only needs them for long range? Do you ride a bus or use other public transportation or do you have your own car? If you have your own car, you are unnecessarily contributing to air pollution and traffic congestion. I don't actually believe that, but it gets the point across - countries and individuals shouldn't be told by outside institutions or other governments what they do or do not need.

One other thing - Israel actually pays the US back.