Pentagon Keeps Jet Technology From Israel
Associated Press
April 22, 2005
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is refusing to provide Israel with some
technologies used in the Joint Strike Fighter, the U.S. military's
next-generation fighter jet that is in development with a number of
international partners, a Defense Department spokesman said
Thursday.
The move stems from concerns that the information could be
transferred to other countries, Lawrence Di Rita said.
He declined to specify what countries were of concern, although the
U.S. government has previously opposed the sale of Israeli weapons
to China.
"There are some types of technology and information that at the
moment we're not comfortable sharing while some issues can be
worked out," Di Rita said at news conference.
Still, he said, "Our commitment to sell the Joint Strike Fighter to
Israel is unchanged as well."
On Sunday, Israeli defense industry executives said the United
States had frozen Israel out of the development of the fighter as
punishment for its military cooperation with China.
The executives said the American decision was related to
displeasure over Israeli arms deals with China, particularly over
weapon systems that the U.S. contends could be used to invade
Taiwan.
Israel is one of the principal foreign participants in the
development of the Joint Strike Fighter, also called the F-35. The
plane is expected to replace the aging F-16 in the American
inventory.
The White House has recently warned European countries to maintain
its boycott on China arms sales, imposed after Chinese authorities
put down demonstrations against Communist rule in 1989.
The U.S. Air Force plans to take delivery of the first F-35s in
2008.
