JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel's first F-35 fighter jet made its debut Wednesday at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth headquarters. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was on hand for the rollout ceremony.
The first of 33 F-35s being manufactured for Israel in the U.S. is slated to arrive by the end of the year, where it will be fine-tuned for the IAF.
Israel is the first country outside the U.S. to receive the F-35, named Adir in Hebrew, which means powerful, great and mighty – an apt description of the stealth fighter.
On Monday, Lieberman met with his U.S. counterpart, Ashton Carter, to discuss issues related to security challenges in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel are continuing to fine tune the 10-year defense aid agreement, with Lieberman projecting it will be finished and signed in November. Discussions on the aid package began after the U.S.-led Iranian nuclear deal was signed.
Opinions differ as to whether to wait for the next U.S. administration to finalize the agreement.
Senior advisor to Donald Trump David Friedman told Israel's Channel 2 news it may be better to wait, The Times of Israel reported.
"Certainly the Trump administration is not looking to cut back on foreign aid and in all likelihood will increase it significantly," he said.
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