Israel desea comprar mas F-15 y F-16/Israel mulls buying more F-15s, F-16s

Israel está planeando comprar mas Boeing F-15I o Lockheed Martin F-16I para rellenar el vacío operacional causado por los crecientes costes de desarrollo y crecientes retrasos del F-35 que la Fuerza Aérea desea comprar. Se trataría de comprar 18-24 aviones para equipar un escuadrón si los retrasos se prolongan. Se podría incluso retrasar la la retirada de los F-16A. El programa F-35 sufre un retraso de un año y medio y no estará listo hasta 2015 en lugar de la fecha prevista de 2013. Los costes han subido desde los 50 millones de dólares en 2002 a los 112 millones actualmente, aunque se especula que esta cifra podría llegar hasta los 150 millones por unidad.
Israel deseaba una entrega inicial de 25 F-35, con entregas en 2012, con opciones por 50 mas.
Israel dispone de 27 F-15I Raam y 102 F-16I Sufa de ataque al suelo, además de 72 F-15 A/B/C/D y 224 F-16 A/BN/C/D de caza.
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Israel is mulling the purchase of more Boeing F-15Is or Lockheed Martin F-16Is to fill the operational gap caused by the growing delays -- and soaring price tag -- of the ill-starred F-35 stealth fighter the air force wants to buy.
Israeli air force is considering the acquisition of one squadron -- 18-24 aircraft --if the delay in developing the F-35, is prolonged.
If the delays become too problematical, the IAF may postpone its procurement program and retain aircraft such as the F-16A, which it had planned to phase out once it received the initial batch of F-35s.
The Pentagon announced March 11 that the F-35 program was a year-and-a-half behind schedule and would not be ready for operational deployment until 2015 instead of 2013 and also disclosed that the cost of building the fifth-generation aircraft had risen from $50 million per plane when the program began in 2002 to $112 million, attributed to overruns, inflation and the increased cost of materials.
But some industry sources said the cost could swell to around $150 million per plane when revised estimates are completed in June.
The Israeli air force wanted to buy an initial batch of 25 F-35s, with delivery in 2012, with an option for 50 more.
Israel has 27 F-15I Raam and 102 F-16I Sufa ground-attack fighters, as well as 72 F-15 A/B/C/D and 224 F-16 A/BN/C/D fighter and strike variants.
The Ra'ams and Sufas comprise the air force's strategic long-range strike force.