Israel will be receiving six Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft, becoming the first country granted permission to acquire the advanced aircraft, which carries a price tag of $70 million each. The V-22s are expected within two years and officials in Israel believe the IAF will be receiving a total of eight.
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.
Officials in Israel add the aircraft can carry 24 soldiers at a top speed of 400 KPH (240 MPH) and has a maximum range of 1,600km, placing Iran in range.
Other equipment included in the $3 billion defense package includes fueling planes and advanced missiles capable of taking out the most advanced radar systems.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
The point isn’t to be able to get to Iran – it’s to have enough gas to get to Iran AND back. Unless you’re planning on crashing it kamikaze style but that would seem like a bit of a waste of 70 mil. I think it might have been Debka that said these aircraft don’t really fit in well with the type of operations the IDF does so at a time when the army is complaining of how it will suffer from budget cuts this seems like a somewhat frilly item to buy just because you can.