One of the most expensive and controversial military weapons in history has found a new home with one of the closest and most trusted military allies of the United States, both in the world and particularly in the Middle East. In a move that will almost certainly be criticized on both sides of the Atlantic, the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II has officially become part of the Israeli Air Forces. The Joint Strike Fighter Program has been principally funded by the United States with additional funding from partner nations that are either NATO members or close U.S. allies, like in the case of the Israel Defense Forces.
In this video, two F-35 Lightning II jet fighters, the first for Israel, arrive at the Nevatim Air Force Base in Israel, which will become the new home of Israel Defense Forces’s F-35I “ADIR” fifth-generation fighters. The video includes a flyby of the two F-35’s, accompanied by an IAF F-15, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s speech at the welcome ceremony.
