Israeli Generals Reportedly Want to Scrap Lavi
Israeli military leaders want to scrap the over-budget Lavi jet fighter program, saying Israel can buy American-made warplanes cheaper than it can build its own, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.
The newspaper, quoting “very well-placed sources,” said the Israeli Defense Forces’ general staff has recommended purchasing F-16 fighters from the United States instead of building the similar Lavi, and using the money saved on the deal to fund other military projects.
Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin is studying the recommendations as well as other alternatives, the newspaper said.
The general staff probably will opt to acquire F-16Cs, which are technologically superior to the F-16As and F-16Bs already in the Israeli air force, the newspaper said. The new F-16s would be equipped with Israeli computer systems.
Opponents of the Lavi say producing the plane will drain away too much of $1.8 billion in U.S. military aid that Israel gets annually.
The Lavi, modeled after the F-16, made its first test flight Dec. 31, three months behind schedule and million of dollars over budget. Israel said the Lavi jets would cost about $15.5 million each, but U.S. experts have estimated they would cost nearly $22 million each.
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