Last update - 00:00 19/08/2007
IDF top brass to consider delay in purchase of F-35 joint strike fighter
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces will conduct a force structure review this week under the guidance of deputy Chief of Staff Moshe Kaplinsky, and will consider postponing the procurement of the F-35 stealth strike fighter.
The review, essentially a workshop of the General Staff's top brass, is expected to analyze the shape the IDF will take in the coming years, particularly in terms of large procurement projects.
The review, originally scheduled to take place on the eve of the Second Lebanon War last summer, is part of a broad series of changes then-chief of staff Dan Halutz sought to initiate in the army. One of the main changes Halutz sought to implement, which met with vociferous opposition from ground force generals, revolved around further cuts in the numbers of reserve armored brigades.
As a result of the war, in which the IDF deployed large armored units with unsatisfactory results, the plan to limit the number of armored units was reversed. Defense Minister Ehud Barak even ordered the creation of new armored divisions made up mostly of reservists. Barak argues that this is not going to be a particularly costly move. Each division will comprise a core command, supported by two reserve armored brigades. The number of career officers in these new formations will be limited, and the tanks, Merkava Mark II, will be taken from stocks the IDF has put in storage three years ago.
However, Barak's idea has puzzled some observers. In an interview to Maariv's Ofer Shelah, David Brodet, who headed the committee evaluating the defense budget, said that Barak's proposal had not been brought before the committee. "I don't understand: the army diminished its force structure during the past six years. What happened? Have the threats on Israel changed? Has the response to these threats been changed? It is not clear to me," Brodet said.
Even though the army is not thrilled with Barak's idea, it is obvious that most of the generals are keen to put the procurement of equipment for the ground forces on the top of their agenda.
The Israel Air Force lobby at the General Staff suffered a setback when Halutz resigned, and some generals, including Kaplinsky, are unlikely to be sad to see the massive procurement project for the stealth strike fighter postponed for a year or two.
The stealth fighter is the dream of all pilots: a plane capable of evading the Russian-made radar of both Syria and Iran. If Israel will have to attack Iran in the future, an aircraft of this kind, capable of safe exfiltration, will be necessary. Another advantage of the F-35 is its ability to acquire a broad view of the areas it overflies, in part by sharing information with other friendly aircraft, and relaying it to headquarters. For the Air Force, this fighter is a strategic asset, much more important than armored divisions.
No one in the defense establishment is disputing the fact that the F-35 should be the Air Force's next generation fighter. The argument is over the timing of the deal. An earlier agreement for the procurement of the F-16I in 2003 gave rise to controversy after the fact. Some argued that the 120 aircraft bought were too many, and that it would have been possible to buy other weapons systems with the money allocated.
According to sources, the timetable for an initial deal between Israel and Lockheed, the maker of the F-35, will be signed in 2009, and involve one or two squadrons (a maximum of 50 aircraft) at an estimated cost of $60 million each. If a deal is signed, the first operational squadron will be available in 2014. Air Force officials maintain that there is no time to waste because this aircraft will improve Israel's deterrent capability.
What would the IDF procure instead of the F-35? The U.S.-made Stryker armored combat vehicle is one option, and so is the Namer, an armored personnel carrier based on the Merkava chassis. Also, funds may be diverted for missile defense development, of the type Barak labeled "urgent" recently.
One thing is certain: Following the Brodet Committee's report, in which the decision-making process for procurement was shown to be chaotic, the IDF will have to make this process relatively transparent.