Israel pays for additional F-35s

[spazsinbad]

Sucks to be Israel paying for their exorbitantly priced jets - according to this reporter - whatup - Gifts/Horses/Don't look?

First two F-35 jets en route to Israel
08 Dec 29=016 Judah Ari Gross & Times of Israel staff

"...The purchase of the exorbitantly expensive planes — at more than NIS 380 million ($100 million) per plane — is possible, in part, due to the defense aid package given by the United States to Israel each year....

“It is clear and obvious to us, and to the entire region, that the new F-35 — the Adir — will create real deterrence and enhance our capabilities for a long time,” [Israeli DefMin] Liberman said."

Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/first-two- ... to-israel/

[spazsinbad]

F-35 Triggers Conceptual Overhaul in Israel Air Force
11 Dec 2016 Barbara Opall-Rome

TEL AVIV — Nearly a decade of planning preceded Monday's scheduled delivery of the first F-35Is to the Israel Air Force (IAF), but once they touch down at the stealth fighter’s desert base at Nevatim, another process will just begin, with vast implications on how Israel wields airpower near and very far from home.

From the single network that will support the IAF’s ability to use the fifth-generation Adir (Awesome/Magnificent) alongside fourth-generation fighters to hunt and fight in packs to the means by which it trains and maintains its combined force, the new F-35Is will be driving wholesale changes throughout the mightiest air force in the Middle East.

“The IAF needs to adapt itself to this fifth-generation plane, and not vice versa,” a general officer on the IAF Air Staff told Defense News.

“We need to look at all our existing concepts and to re-evaluate them as a result of this capability. We’ll ask questions we never asked before, because we’ve been used to training, operating and supporting according to fourth-generation concepts.”

From “Day 1” of the Adir’s arrival, the general officer said the new fighters will be co-located with an F-16I “escorting squadron” to allow the service to determine all it needs for seamless integration of its frontline fighter force.

“We need this quality team from Day 1 to live together, train together and learn all they need to speak the same language,” the officer said.

“We’ve defined the team’s mission as escorting the Adir and leading the way to joining fourth- and fifth-generation elements of our force,” he said.

“Of course, this F-16I squadron will have other missions. It’s not a dedicated team in the purest sense, since we don’t have the luxury of a stand-alone squadron. But their mission is clear: As smartly and as quickly as possible, we need to create a truly integrated force of fourth- and fifth-generation assets.”

As an example of “refusing to be locked into old concepts,” the officer cited the distances at which IAF fighters currently fly in operational formation; distances now determined by visual contact.

“We shouldn’t be using this plane in visual range. So it’s likely that we’ll fly differently in the formation,” he said.

Composition of force packages will also change, since the F-35I’s stealth capabilities should lessen the need in many combat scenarios for beefed up support and special mission aircraft.

All that, he emphasizes, is predicated on Israel’s ability to integrate its own communication system produced by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and electronic warfare capabilities by Elbit’s Elisra in the new Adir force.

“At this point, it’s still theoretical. The F-35s that arrive here are basic aircraft. We need to integrate all these capabilities so have self-sufficiency with communications and electronic warfare. This is crucial for us to allow the networked connection with our four-generation force.

“Otherwise, if the F-35 is detached from the rest of our force, it has no significance in terms of networked operations force-wide,” he added.

In terms of maintenance, the officer noted that the new F-35I comes with its own simulator for technicians; something that the service may seek to replicate for fourth-generation fighters.

“Before, when we thought about simulators, we thought about pilot training. But now there is a simulator for technicians, and we may want this for our fourth-generation aircraft,” he said.

And unlike other partner members of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, where depot-level maintenance will be performed at designed depots, Israel has been working with the US government and Lockheed Martin to ensure that no F-35I aircraft will ever leave the country.

“The intention is that the platform stays here. That’s obvious, due to our clear and compelling need for self-sufficiency,” the general officer said.

“Of course, some elements we may need to send to another place to fix. But in most cases, we should we able to replace them from what’s on the shelf … The important thing is that we will not send aircraft out of the country.”

He noted that because the aircraft are new, depot-level maintenance should not be relevant for years — perhaps more than a decade — to come, given the manufacturers advertised lifespan of some 50 years. But once it becomes relevant, Israel hopes to have put in place a process whereby depot-level work will be done in-country...."

Source: http://www.defensenews.com/articles/f-3 ... -air-force

[neptune]

.....

All that, he emphasizes, is predicated on Israel’s ability to integrate its own communication system produced by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and electronic warfare capabilities by Elbit’s Elisra in the new Adir force. ..

...per this article we again hear about the "Israeli" modifications;

1. "to integrate its own communication system produced by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)"...is this similar to the 5th gen to 4th gen comm. issue that is being worked similarly by the program users and JPO.. (a different software set)...?

2. "electronic warfare capabilities by Elbit’s Elisra"...might this be a unique data set from Israeli intelligence for their specialized operations that would be similar to the mission data sets that would be built for the other program users..(a different software set)..?

.....perhaps neither of these are the radical "rip out and replace" hardware butchering that was mentioned long ago!
Not that I would waste time trying to anticipate/ imagine "Any" Israeli "improvements"!

[spazsinbad]

Don't know why you use colourful language however several posts in the past have given details somewhat about a black box interface enabling the Israeli modifications. No butchering required. Here is a clue: articles in forum at the time...

You will find this article below replicated a few times when forum searched for ALON three pages of results found so look at the 3rd the last page for them. Ensure last search box all available characters of posts ticked.

Israel To Buy F-35s With Cockpit Mods
27 Aug 2010 Alon Ben-David

"Israel is pressing ahead with its purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, after securing U.S. approval to install Israeli munitions on the aircraft and a pledge to adjust the electronic warfare suite to emerging Middle East threats.

"The aircraft will be designated F-35I, as there will be unique Israeli features installed in them," a senior Israel air force official tells Aviation Week.

Israel's initial batch will be almost identical to the international JSF offered to other countries, with one difference: The F-35s manufactured for Israel will include several cockpit interfaces to accommodate the air force's command, control, communications, computer and intelligence systems. The F-35 main computer will enable a plug-and-play feature for Israeli equipment...."

Source: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... 249396.xml no longer there but replicated here: http://list.freeman.org/pipermail/freem ... 13664.html

[zerion]

Israel's first F-35 jets land as Trump blasts costs

In Israel, the first two F-35s landed at Nevatim air base at around 8.15 pm (1845 GMT), around six hours late after being delayed by bad weather in Italy, believed to be fog.

Some 4,000 people had been expected to watch the landings but the crowds thinned as the landing was delayed, leaving only around half the seats full by nightfall.

The two planes came to a halt in front of the spectators, one on each side of the stage erected for speeches of welcome.

"The aircraft landing here will change the rules of the game," President Reuven Rivlin said...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/israels-firs ... 24043.html

Photo at link

[SpudmanWP]

Looks like it did not get it's logos restored at the FACO.

[zerion]

More photos roundels applied at landing.

http://www.iaf.org.il/4451-48791-en/IAF.aspx

https://mobile.twitter.com/thef35/statu ... 20/photo/1

[SpudmanWP]

They put it on in Israel as part of the ceremony.



IAF Commander, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel & President of Israel, Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin gluing the IAF roundel on the “Adir” | Photography: Mor Tzidon


The "Adir" (F-35I) | Photography: Mor Tzidon

[spazsinbad]

From 'zerion' post above.

The “Adir” Has Landed
12 Dec 2016 Zohar Boneh

"...Combining Man and Machine
The pair of “Adir” (F-35I) jets that landed today are the first of 50 aircraft whose acquisition has been agreed upon so far. They will bring the IAF into the fifth generation of fighter aircraft and consist of a significant quantum jump in capability. The jets hold advanced capabilities new to the IAF such as sensor fusion, stealth and situation awareness. In addition, their arrival will bring new concepts into the IAF in various fields such as logistics, training and instruction. An example for such a conceptual change is the heightened significance of simulators in “Adir” pilot training. The IAF aspires to perform 50% of “Adir” flight hours in simulators....

...From the First Flight to Operational Activity
Six years after the acquisition deal was signed and a year and a half since the “Golden Eagle” Squadron (that will receive and operate the “Adir”) was established, the jets have arrived in Israel. Until now, the squadron personnel: pilots, ground crews, intelligence and operations personnel studied the advanced stealth fighter in order to achieve their goal – the “Adir”, operational by December 2017. “The IAF Commander gave us a goal – to take off for our first flight tomorrow and we definitely intended to reach it”, shared Lt. Col. Yotam, the first “Adir” Squadron Commander. “We must quickly transition from the exciting atmosphere to operational work in order to stay on schedule”.

During the coming year, the squadron is expected to hold various test and training flights, in order to better grasp how to make the aircraft’s activity more efficient and adapt it to the IAF’s needs and the current arena. Simultaneously, the IAF will continue training additional aircrews for the F-35 and developing the abilities of all “Adir” personnel, on the ground and in the air. “We will first make sure that we are providing the proper safety conditions for the jet’s activity, train ourselves and develop combat doctrines”, shared Lt. Col. Yotam. “We will begin operational activity only after deeply examining the aircraft and making sure that we are ready”."

Source: http://www.iaf.org.il/4451-48791-en/IAF.aspx

[spazsinbad]

Air Mobility Command enables delivery of Israel’s first F-35s
12 Dec 2016 1st Lt Erik Anthony, 618th Air Operations Center Public Affairs

"SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Air Mobility Command Airmen worked around the clock to ensure Israel’s first two F-35 aircraft were delivered Dec. 12, making the U.S. ally the only country in the Middle East flying a fifth generation fighter aircraft.

The 618th Air Operations Center, based out of Scott AFB, Illinois, assigned the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 134th Air Refueling Wing, New Hampshire ANG’s 157th ARW and Pennsylvania ANG’s 171st ARW the critical mission of providing critical aerial refueling support en route to Israel.

The 618th AOC planned the mission and provided command and control for the KC-135s, while they dispensed the fuel needed to ensure an effective multi-day mission to deliver the two new Israeli F-35s.

“We always need to be at the top of our game,” said Maj. John Hale, aircraft commander for the Tennessee ANG KC-135. “That’s especially the case when enabling the delivery of Israel’s first fifth generation fighters with a 52-year-old aircraft.”

Even with the overall KC-135 fleet exceeding 60 years old, the aircraft and its Airmen continue to provide refueling capabilities to nine combatant commanders worldwide. Every 2.8 minutes there is some type of Air Mobility Command aircraft supporting an operation somewhere on the globe. Mobility forces work with international partners to enhance their defense capability and capacity to conduct missions.

The U.S. and Israel have a military relationship developed through decades of cooperation. The delivery of capable and effective fighter aircraft will bring new capabilities to Israel and deepen the ties between the two countries.

"It is an honor to help ensure the delivery of F-35s to a valued ally,” said Gen. Carlton Everhart, Air Mobility Command commander. “Aerial refueling missions enable global reach for the United States and partner nations. Air Mobility Command Airmen and aircraft enable global effects and create bridges of support for partner nations on a daily basis."

Sharing the same aircraft with partner nations allows the U.S. to fly and fight in the same airframe with common tactics, capabilities, and resources, ensuring an interoperable coalition.

Members from AMC’s 618th AOC work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to plan, task, assess, and provide command and control for airlift and tanker missions worldwide, making combat operations and partner nation support possible."

" Two Israeli F-35 “Adirs” fly in formation and display the U.S. and Israeli flags after receiving fuel from a Tennessee Air National Guard KC-135, Dec, 6, 2016. The U.S. and Israel have a military relationship built on trust developed through decades of cooperation. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Erik D. Anthony)" PHOTO: https://media.defense.gov/2016/Dec/12/2 ... 11-003.JPG (0.463Mb)

Source: http://www.amc.af.mil/News/Article-Disp ... rst-f-35s/

[neptune]

Israel's first F-35 jets land as Trump blasts costs

In Israel, the first two F-35s landed at Nevatim air base at around 8.15 pm (1845 GMT), around six hours late after being delayed by bad weather in Italy, believed to be fog.

Some 4,000 people had been expected to watch the landings but the crowds thinned as the landing was delayed, leaving only around half the seats full by nightfall.....

..two F-35s have arrived ..
After a slight delay due to heavy fog in Italy, ....
On hand to welcome the aircraft were Primer Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, the Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

[spazsinbad]

VIDEO: Opall-Rome talks about F-35i: http://www.defensenews.com/video/the-f- ... priorities

Follow on video F-35 LM VP Jack Crisler interviewed by Opall-Rome: same URL above....

[SpudmanWP]

The F-35 and Israel’s Broader Military Priorities




F-35 Delivery Lockheed on Israel

[geokav]

Israel's first F-35 jets land as Trump blasts costs

In Israel, the first two F-35s landed at Nevatim air base at around 8.15 pm (1845 GMT), around six hours late after being delayed by bad weather in Italy, believed to be fog.

Some 4,000 people had been expected to watch the landings but the crowds thinned as the landing was delayed, leaving only around half the seats full by nightfall.....

..two F-35s have arrived ..
After a slight delay due to heavy fog in Italy, ....
On hand to welcome the aircraft were Primer Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, the Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

Rumors say, that a HAF Erieye was patrolling south east of Crete, yesterday late afternoon...

[steve2267]

Rumors say, that a HAF Erieye was patrolling south east of Crete, yesterday late afternoon...

And?