Israel has sent an official request to the U.S. government to purchase tens of advanced warplanes, local media reported on Thursday.
Israel, the U.S. ally in the Middle East, intends to buy 25 F-35 stealth fighters at this time and potentially another 50 in the future, according to Ha'aretz, while local daily Yedioth Ahronoth put the numbers at 35 for now and 15 more in the future.
The arms procurement package also includes three to five C-130Jplanes, the most advanced model of the Hercules jets, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been using for many years, according to the reports.
The purchase decision, made after two years of discussion, was recently included in the framework of the IDF's multi-year plan, Ha'aretz reported, adding the price for each F-35 warplane is estimated to be 80 million U.S. dollars.
The first delivery will be made in late 2013 or early 2014, said Yedioth Ahronoth, quoting Bob Trice, representative of the F-35 fighters manufacturer Lockheed Martin, who is currently visiting Israel.
However, Ha'aretz reported that some senior defense officials have asked for a delivery as early as mid-2012.
Israeli defense officials said equipping the air force with the most advanced warplanes in the world is a top priority, and Israelis expected to integrate self-made systems into the purchased planes.
Source:Xinhua
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