The United States reportedly will move up its sale of advanced F-35 warplanes to Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has persuaded the Pentagon to supply the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a supersonic stealth jet that is still under construction, to Israel ahead of schedule.
Israel had been expected to receive the $50 million warplane in 2014, but the sale could now take place as early as 2012, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Israel plans to buy 25 to 100 F-35s as part of its preparations for a possible future war with Iran.
“This plane can fly into downtown Tehran without anyone even knowing about it since it can’t be detected on radar,” an Israeli defense official told the newspaper.
Barak’s office and the U.S. Embassy in Israel had no immediate comment on the report.
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