The Israeli air force's first two Lockheed Martin F-16I multirole fighters landed at Ramon airbase on 19 February, after completing a transit flight from the USA.
A total of 102 F-16Is will be delivered to Israel over the next four years under contracts worth $4.5 billion. Local sources, meanwhile, suggest that Israel could acquire additional Boeing F-15Ifighters capable of performing missions such as intercepting cruise missiles and blinding intelligence satellites.
Sales of the F-15 to the USAir Force, South Korea and possibly Singapore mean Boeing's manufacturing line will remain open longer than previously predicted.
Source: Flight International
