The first F-35 Adir fighter jet for Israel Air Force has successfully taken to the skies and completed its maiden flight with «no particular problems». That reproted by israelnationalnews.com
Lockheed Martin on Tuesday successfully conducted a test flight of the F-35 (also named F-35I ) fighter jet that has been given to Israel.
The test flight is designed to test the various systems installed in the jet, and which have so far only been tested on the ground.
In Israel’s first two F-35I will arrive on 12 December 2016. The squadron will be based at air force base «Nevatim» in the Negev.
It should be noted that Israel will become not only the first ally of the United States, which will receive the newest plane, but the only one that got the right to install on the F-35 systems.
In total, Israel should by the end of 2020 to 33 aircraft and 4 flight simulator with a total value of $ 5.3 billion. It is planned that up to half of the training, the pilots will spend it at the gym, which should significantly reduce the cost of training.
Israel became the first country to select the F-35 through the United States government’s Foreign Military Sales process when a Letter of Agreement was signed in October 2010. On June 22, 2016, the Israeli Air Force received the first F-35A Adir for Israel at a ceremony at the Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 factory. The program promotes further sharing of technology and knowledge between countries, as well as opportunities in manufacturing for Israel’s sophisticated defense industry. With the Israel Air Force planning to decommission its fleet of aging F-15s and F-16s, the F-35 will continue to ensure the country’s global competitiveness.
