Two Israeli “Kfir” planes landed here this afternoon to attend the International Air Show opening at Le Bourget Airfield on Thursday. This is the first time the Israeli-made supersonic fighter-bomber is being publicly shown outside Israel.
The two “Kfirs” landed at 3 p.m. sharp in bright sunshine. Painted in camouflage colors with the Israeli Air Force makings, a full, blue star of David and with the words “Israel Aircraft Industry” painted on their fuselage, they taxied to the Israeli pavilion over which flew the Israeli flag. One of the Kfir pilots, Col. Danny Shapiro, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they had a perfect flight in spite of 100-knot winds practically all the way. The Israeli formation, which also included a modern version of the STOL transport “Arava,” made a technical stopover at Brindisi, Italy for refueling.
The two planes will be on display at Le Bourget and will also engage in flight exercises with their full stores which include missiles and guns. Several countries have been negotiating with Israel for the purchase of Kfirs and military attaches from over 50 countries have reportedly asked to be allowed to inspect the planes which are believed to fly at mach 2.3 and are rated among the world’s top fighter-bombers with interceptor possibilities. The two planes in Paris are of the C-2 type, a multipurpose model in which several Latin American countries are interested.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
