Maariv: US pledges not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Arab countries

The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the United States has promised Israel that it will not provide Arab countries with fifth generation F-35 fighter jets.

The newspaper reported yesterday that Washington confirmed to Tel Aviv that this type of aircraft “will be exclusively allocated for Israel in the Middle East.”

Maariv said that US sources have not ruled out selling fourth-generation F-35 aircrafts to Qatar and Kuwait.

The newspaper explained that Tel Aviv fears that the sale of such aircrafts to Arab countries would violate the “technological superiority of Israel in the region,” noting that Washington has already announced that it will maintain a quality gap in favour of the Jewish state.

Hebrew newspaper, Yisrael Hume, asserted that the Israeli Air Force is preparing to receive the first F-35 aircraft at the end of this year. They are due to receive a further seven aircrafts in 2017.

A base will be built for the new aircrafts in the Negev.