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| F-22 Raptor Israel |
Militarymedia.net - US President Donald Trump has approved the sale of the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet to Israel. The US ensures that it will guarantee the qualitative superiority of Israel's military as achieved in the agreement between the two countries for decades.
This was revealed in the brief visit of US Defense Minister Mark Esper to Israel to meet with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz followed by a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, October 29, 2020.
Esper informed the two Israeli officials that President Donald Trump had approved the sale of the F-22 fighter jet and precision-guided bombs. This is a senior source in Tel Aviv as reported by the Times of Israel, citing the report by Asharq Al-Awsat which is based in London.
Esper's main visit to Tel Aviv, the paper wrote, was primarily to inform Israeli officials of the US response to their demands that Gantz had brought up during his two previous visits to Washington.
Esper arrived in Tel Aviv following a visit to India where he signed an agreement to expand military satellite information sharing and highlight strategic cooperation between Washington and New Delhi with a view to countering China, the Associated Press wrote.
Israel is seeking compensation for acquiring the F-22 jets after President Donald Trump's administration plans to sell 50 units of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.
Gantz also presented a long list of Israeli demands including increased military support and a squadron of F-35 fighter jets, advanced F-15 jet models, V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, and aerial refueling aircraft.
Regarding the F-22, Israel also asked for a smart bomb to equip the aircraft.
It is not yet known whether the F-22 that will be sold to Israel is an aircraft currently used by the United States Air Force (USAF) or an aircraft that will be made new. Because, the production of the F-22 itself was stopped in 2011. The F-22 was only operated by the USAF, totaling 183 units.
