IAF jets
Photo: IDF
IDF mulls spending plan
Army's general staff will discuss spending budgets as Air Force, Navy, and Ground Forces prepare to grapple over their slice of the pie
The IDF General Staff will convene a week-long workshop on Monday to discuss its long-term and short-term spending budgets, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday.
The Air Force, Navy and Ground Forces will grapple over NIS 50 billion (about $12 billion) earmarked for the defense establishment for 2008, with each of the armed forces wanting to secure enough funds for new purchases.
The Air Force wants to purchase about 100 F-35 aircraft in addition to expanding its cargo aircraft fleet and replenishing its stockpile of satellite-guided bombs that were exhausted during last summer's war with Hizbullah.
The Air Force is also interested in replacing its aging fleet of transport aircraft with new C-130 J model Hercules jets.
The Navy is keen on snatching two Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) from Lockheed Martin.
The ground forces have their eyes set on the Striker APC. In addition the armored corps wants to increase orders of new Merkava IV tanks.
But security officials said Sunday that a considerable portion of the budget would be poured into anti-missile defense systems for long-range and short-range missile.
"The budget requests for the IDF's routine activities have to fit in with requests for the equipment necessary to deal with countries in the third line of defense, mainly Iran," one official said.
