למה F35I של ישראל הוא יחודי במינו .?

For fifty years, the United States has provided top-of-the-line fighter aircraft to help defend Israel from attack. Israel’s fielding of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, known locally as Adir, continues that tradition even as the country puts its own technological touch on the fifth-generation fighter. Unlike other F-35 customers, Israel is modifying its fighters from the outset to address unique security challenges and the country’s technological capabilities.

The United States began sending first-line fighters to Israel in the late 1960s, when the F-4E Phantom II joined the Israeli Air Force. The F-4s were followed by the F-15A Eagle air superiority fighter in 1976, and by the F-16A Fighting Falcon multirole fighter in 1980. These fighters were eventually followed by the F-15C, F-15I strike fighter, and F-16C and F-16I fighters. With the exception of the F-22 Raptor, the Israeli Air Force’s fighter fleet is as well equipped as the U.S. Air Force’s.

Israel first applied to buy the F-35 in September 2008, when it requested to purchase twenty-five jets with an option for another fifty. The F-35s would fill a void created by retiring early-model F-16s. According to Defense Industry Daily, the Israelis were quoted a sticker-shock-inducing $200 million per jet. While this number came down considerably within a year to a more concerning $100 million plus, it was clear the F-35 would be a very expensive purchase for the tiny Middle Eastern country. By October 2014, Israel agreed to double its F-35 fleet to fifty aircraft.