The Israeli version of Lockheed Martin’s F16 fighter aircraft , “Sufa” , may join the competition for sales of advanced aircraft to the Indian air force. The “Sufa”, or Storm, known under its professional brand as the F-16I, has a significant amount of content manufactured by Israeli defense industries, designed in accordance with the technical specifications of the Israel Air Force (IAF).
According to a report published in the latest edition of “Defense News”, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) “is eyeing the F-16I as a low-cost, high-performance alternative to the French Rafale, the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F and the Russian MiG-35.”
Responding to the reports, Lockheed Martin spokesman Joe Stout told “Globes” that the company had not yet received a “request for a proposal” (RFP) from India, which will include the technical specifications stipulated by the Indian Air Force. It was therefore unclear which version of the F-16 will eventually be offered to New Delhi. Stout refused to say whether the Israeli version was one of the options under consideration.
Israeli and US sources quoted in “Defense News” claim, however, that Lockheed’s Fort Worth, Texas, Aeronautics unit has begun asking the US government for third-country export licenses.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on June 14, 2006
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