The United Arab Republic’s Air Force will soon be equipped with Russian-designed MIG-19 supersonic Jet fighters–the first supersonic warplanes in any Middle East air force, the aviation correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph reported today.
(The New York Times reported today from Moscow that the Izvestia, leading Soviet Government newspaper, carried an unsigned article yesterday appealing for a relaxation of tensions on the Israel-Arab borders, but putting on Israel the major blame for the recent trouble on the Israel-Syrian frontier. Izvestia said the air in Israel was “unfortunately” full of a “military psychosis”).
During a trip to Israel two weeks ago, the correspondent reported, it was obvious that the Israeli military authorities “are more than ever concerned with the need for qualitative improvement in arms rather than greater quantities.” He said the Israelis might prefer the French Mirage III supersonic fighters since their airforce is already equipped with fighter and ground attack planes of French design. But the American supersonic fighters such as the F-104 or F-106 or the British Lightning would probably be accepted if the terms were favorable, he said.
The normal price of a supersonic fighter, the Telegraph writer said, is 250,000 pounds sterling ($700,000) excluding any of the other supplies and equipment such as radar and ground control apparatus which are complementary to such aircraft. He pointed out that the Egyptians obtained their MIG-17’s on a cotton-for-arms deal. While there are no indications yet of payment arrangements for the MIG-19’s, he said, “they are likely to be very favorable.”
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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.
