U.S. to Provide Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia with Fighter Planes; Israel’s Requests Are Cut by Some 5

The Carter Administration announced today that it will provide Israel with 15 F-15 and 75 F-16 jet fighter planes, 50 F-5 fighters to Egypt and 60 F-16s to Saudi Arabia over the next “several years,” subject to Congressional review as required by law.

Israel reportedly had requested 25 more F-15s and 150 F-16s, a single-engine aircraft that is lighter and less efficient than the F-15. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt has also reportedly asked for F-16s but, at least in this submission to Congress, Egypt will not receive any. The estimated price tog for all the planes to the three countries was put at $4.8 billion. (See related story P.3.)

(Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, who was in Los Angeles today, reacted negatively to the Administration’s proposed aircraft sales. He said the decision to provide combat jets to Egypt was premature and should have been held up until a peace agreement was reached between Israel and Egypt. He felt it would have a bad effect on Israel’s security. Asked if he thought the Mideast balance of power would be upset, Dayan claimed “the balance is against us anyway, even before this. There is no question about it.”)

The decision to sell the aircraft to the three countries was announced by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in a press statement in which he also explained the rationale behind the proposed sales to each of the countries.

He said the Administration will begin the “official process of informing and consulting with the Congress” next week but the “formal notifications will not be submitted until after the Easter recess” next month in order to give Congress “an opportunity to review fully the proposed sales.” Congress has veto power over the transfer of U.S. weapons abroad.

Vance pointed out in his press statement that the sale to Israel of the sophisticated, twin-engine F-15s, rated as the world’s best plane of its kind, is in addition to 25 F-15s previously sold to Israel.

The sales to the three countries “will be consistent with the President’s global arms transfer policy and will be within the dollar value ceiling that he has established, “Vance said.”All of these sales are directly supportive of our overall objectives in the Middle East,” he added. He said the aircraft will help Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia “to meet their legitimate security requirements, will not alter the basic military balance in the region and will be consistent with the overriding objective of a just and lasting peace,” Vance said.

RATIONALE FOR SALES EXPLAINED

This is the first time the U.S. is providing Egypt with combat aircraft. It previously had supplied Egypt with 20 C-130 transport planes. It is also the first time the U.S. has lumped together in one package for consideration by Congress, its intentions of military supply to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Vance’s press statement said, “Our commitment to Israel’s security has been and remains firm. Israel must have full confidence in its ability to assure its own defense. This means Israel must be able to plan for the continued modernization of its air force.” He added that the President’s decision on these sales “give particular emphasis to these points.”

The Secretary said, “Egypt, too, must have reasonable assurance of its ability to defend itself if it is to continue the peace negotiations with confidence.” He pointed out that when Sadat altered his country’s relations with the Soviet Union, “he lost his major source of military equipment.” To help Sadat’s military position, the U.S. and Britain have approved plans to refurbish Egypt’s aging fleet of Soviet-made MIG fighters. Sadat, while in Paris this week, is reported to have made arrangements with France to purchase Mirage fighter planes.

Vance noted in his statement that “Saudi Arabia is of immense importance in promoting a course of moderation in the Middle East–with respect to peace-making and other regional initiatives–and more broadly in world affairs, as in petroleum and financial policy,” Vance said. He said “The Saudi government has a legitimate requirement to modernize its very limited air defenses