TSAMTO, April 28. According to the Israeli Air Force command, on April 25 at the Nevatim air base, having made a flight from the Lockheed Martin enterprise in Fort Worth (PC.Texas), another batch of three F-35I Adir fighters landed.
The newly arrived fighters will be part of the 116th Squadron ("Lions of the South") formed in January 2020, stationed at the Nevatim air base.
According to a Jewish Press source, to date, Lockheed Martin has delivered 27 fighter jets to the Israeli Air Force under a contract signed in 2010. It is assumed that by the end of 2024, the Israeli Air Force will be armed with 50 units of the F-35I.
As reported by CAMTO, in September 2008, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress of the possible sale to Israel under the "Foreign Military Sales" program of 25 F-35A fighters in the conventional take-off and landing version (ORP) with an option for an additional purchase of 50 aircraft of the ORP version or short take-off and vertical landing (CVVP), as well as services and equipment related to the contract. The total cost of the purchase was estimated at $ 15.2 billion.
The order for the delivery of the first 19 F-35A fighters under the "Foreign Military Sales" program is worth $ 2.75 billion. The Israeli Defense Ministry posted in October 2010. For economic reasons, it was decided to divide the second batch of aircraft into two tranches. On February 22, 2015, the Israeli Defense Ministry signed a contract worth $ 2.82 billion for the supply of 14 F-35A fighters, as well as related equipment and services. All fighters of the second batch are expected to be delivered in 2021. At the end of August 2017, an agreement was signed for the purchase of additional Adir fighters, which increased the total number of F-35A ordered by Israel to 50 units. Their delivery should be completed in 2024.
The first pair of F-35is landed at Nevatim Air Base on December 12, 2016. On December 6, 2017, after the arrival of 9 aircraft, the Israeli Air Force announced that the F-35I Adir fleet was ready for combat use.
The first aircraft were part of the 140 squadron "Golden Eagle", located at the air base "Nevatim". Now the 116th squadron is equipped with fighters.
