The US Navy and Air Force, already a customer for Israeli technology, will be leasing $15 million dollars worth of Israeli Kfir jet fighters for one year. As reported by Globes, Israel's financial newspaper, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) will lease the Kfirs to Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) of the US, which provides tactical training programs for the US armed forces. According to Globes, "The Kfirs will mainly be used to simulate enemy jets for training.... Under the current contract, the Kfirs will be used in air combat, ship attacks, and electronic warfare training. They will also tow targets for shooting exercises."
In related news from the other side of the globe, Ukraine and Israel have upgraded and improved the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, a Czech jet used in pilot training. According to Aviation International News, "The IAI-Odessa package makes the aircraft a much more capable platform for training pilots, greatly improves the navigational system and adds some air-to-ground capability to the platform." One of the many improvements is a new set of avionics systems loaded with Israeli software.
The Israeli-Ukrainian joint venture will sell the L-39 as a sophisticated jet trainer. According to Aviation International News, "The L-39 was the mainstay trainer of the Soviet air force and can be found in inventories throughout the former Soviet Union. Ukraine has a large number of these aircraft... and have a large cadre of experienced technical specialists which, in some cases, know the aircraft as good as or better than the original manufacturers."
IAI corporate vice president Shimon Eckhaus told the aviation industry news outlet, "This is an option that is attractive for some African countries and other nations where we have a good presence in the market. It makes the aircraft a very cost-effective solution for training and also for close air support."
Another customer, as-yet unidentified, is also interested in what IAI can do, in another field of endeavor. Globes reports that the Israeli firm has won a tender to convert two types of Boeing 767 passenger jets to cargo planes. The value of the deal, IAI sources told the newspaper, "was likely to reach $50 million, if the customer decides to exercise the option for all 30 airplanes in the deal." The reason that IAI won the tender may be related to its announcement that it "is now developing a new product that will make it possible to convert a passenger jet to a cargo plane, or vice-versa, in just one hour," Globes reports. So far, since having announced its passenger-to-cargo conversion abilities, IAI has signed contracts to convert 35 airplanes in deals totaling $85 million.
In related news from the other side of the globe, Ukraine and Israel have upgraded and improved the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, a Czech jet used in pilot training. According to Aviation International News, "The IAI-Odessa package makes the aircraft a much more capable platform for training pilots, greatly improves the navigational system and adds some air-to-ground capability to the platform." One of the many improvements is a new set of avionics systems loaded with Israeli software.
The Israeli-Ukrainian joint venture will sell the L-39 as a sophisticated jet trainer. According to Aviation International News, "The L-39 was the mainstay trainer of the Soviet air force and can be found in inventories throughout the former Soviet Union. Ukraine has a large number of these aircraft... and have a large cadre of experienced technical specialists which, in some cases, know the aircraft as good as or better than the original manufacturers."
IAI corporate vice president Shimon Eckhaus told the aviation industry news outlet, "This is an option that is attractive for some African countries and other nations where we have a good presence in the market. It makes the aircraft a very cost-effective solution for training and also for close air support."
Another customer, as-yet unidentified, is also interested in what IAI can do, in another field of endeavor. Globes reports that the Israeli firm has won a tender to convert two types of Boeing 767 passenger jets to cargo planes. The value of the deal, IAI sources told the newspaper, "was likely to reach $50 million, if the customer decides to exercise the option for all 30 airplanes in the deal." The reason that IAI won the tender may be related to its announcement that it "is now developing a new product that will make it possible to convert a passenger jet to a cargo plane, or vice-versa, in just one hour," Globes reports. So far, since having announced its passenger-to-cargo conversion abilities, IAI has signed contracts to convert 35 airplanes in deals totaling $85 million.