More F-35Is land in Israel
Three more F-35Is landed on 25 April at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel. (Photo: IDF)
Almost half of the 50 F-35s ordered by Israel have been delivered.
The IDF on 26 April confirmed the delivery of three more F-35A aircraft to the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
The aircraft (designated F-35I Adir in IAF service) landed on 25 April at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel. They will be flown by 116 Squadron IAF.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, this brings to 23 the number of F-35Is delivered to the IAF out of 50 ordered.
Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Walla reported on 20 April that the IAF Flight Testing Center at Tel-Nof is developing external drop tanks to facilitate long-range F-35I missions to so-called ‘third circle’ countries as Iran.
External tanks remove the need for aerial refuelling, and they would also allow the F-35I to spend more time over its target.
However, they must be designed in such a way as not to degrade the stealth characteristics of the aircraft.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Doodle Labs expands use of its radios on UAV systems]()
Doodle Labs expands use of its radios on UAV systems
Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems and supports six frequency bands in a single transceiver and AES-256 encryption. It was developed in cooperation with the US Defense Innovation Unit.
-
![NATO’s E-3A fleet more important than ever, says force commander]()
NATO’s E-3A fleet more important than ever, says force commander
NATO’s E-3A fleet will have been in service for more than half a century by the time of their expected retirement but a boost to the capability and conflict elsewhere have highlighted their importance.
-
![NATO progresses effort to replace E-3A AWACS fleet]()
NATO progresses effort to replace E-3A AWACS fleet
NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet has been scheduled for retirement from 2035. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has been leading the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) project to develop new options for future surveillance and control capabilities, based on future technology and requirements.
