JERUSALEM, 6 November 2005 — The United States is to allow Israel to help develop the next generation Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jet following a spat over arms sales to China, army radio reported yesterday.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz made the announcement after meeting US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Washington on Friday, with the Israeli air force looking to buy 100 of the new stealth jets, also known as the F-35.
The aircraft, being developed by US manufacturer Lockheed Martin and various other international partners, is due to come into service within 10 years.
Israeli radio said the agreement marked the end of a conflict between the US and Israel over hi-tech arms sales to China.
“All the controversial questions have been answered. Israel will continue to take part in this project as an appreciated partner. Moreover, the United States have renewed their undertaking to sell us this future aircraft,” the website of the Yediot Aharonot daily quoted Mofaz as saying.
The agreement came after Mofaz promised that Israel would “respect its undertakings” to Washington concerning sales of sensitive military technology.
Israeli media reported in April that the US had torpedoed Israeli participation in the JSF project after Israel sold sensitive military technology and equipment to China.
The spat centered on an Israeli deal to upgrade Harpy Killer drones it had sold to China, amid concerns that advanced US defense technology contained in Israeli equipment could be used against Taiwan.
Washington said such an upgrade, for which China had already paid $50 to 60 million, would threaten US strategic interests.
The director general of the Defense Ministry, Amos Yaron, blamed by Washington for the ill-fortuned deal, resigned in August.
Israel, which receives $2.2 billion in US military aid to buy US defense equipment, has little room to maneuver when it comes to arms deals, despite some domestic calls to show independence from Washington.
