Israel Keeps Eyes On F-35Bs; Lockheed-Boeing Battle It Out For Fighters, Choppers

By ARIE EGOZI

TEL AVIV: Until last week there was a shadow war, fought behind closed doors, mainly in the highly guarded complex of the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Israeli Air Force headquarters in Tel Aviv. And in some newspapers.

But now the war has gone public and the big guns could be heard all over Israel's national security establishment when one of the opponents sent a high level delegation to Israel.

The war is between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The battles are between F-35's or advanced F-15's, and between the CH-53K and the CH-47 Chinook.

The proposed deal to purchase additional F-15 for the Israeli airforce ( IAF) includes the upgrade of the existing F-15I. The deal may have a total price of almost $4 billion for 25 F-15Is. This version has an airframe with an extended life span and large area display cockpit.

A high-ranking Lockheed Martin delegation met in recent days with the top figures in the Israeli Defense Ministry and Air Force headquarters.

Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2018/09/israel-keeps-eyes-on-f-35bs-lockheed-boeing-battle-it-out-for-fighters-choppers