Commander of the Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, is set to begin the process for qualification on the IAF's new F-35 fighter jet, which is set to arrive in Israel on Monday.
Eshel is expected to retire in several months from the IDF and complete a five-year term as commander of Israel's strategic arm, but before then, he is set to record a few missions on the F-35 and receive accreditation in the US.
The IAF commander is certified to fly any IAF aircraft and as with any senior officer in the air force, flies one training mission a week to remain combat ready. During Operation Protective Edge, Eshel took part in offensive sorties in the Gaza Strip and even bombed a tunnel that penetrated into Israel at the Kerem Shalom area at the beginning of the operation.
IAF training and simulator officers explained that over the course of four instructional courses, Eshel learned to fly the new aircraft and studied its systems and various components.
Sgt. Metar, one of the simulator instructors who taught Eshel, said, "We taught Maj. Gen. Eshel all the required material, from the most basic components to the most complex. We gave him time to study the cockpit, learn emergency procedures and all flight procedures. Maj. Gen. Eshel is an outstanding student, invests a lot of time and energy, and writes every detail. He is very driven and did not want to take breaks."
Two of the first F-35s are expected to arrive in Israel on Monday, flown by American pilots. The planes are expected to land at the Nevatim Airbase in the Negev after a stopover in Italy. A ceremony will be held on Tuesday, which is expected to include US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter as a guest of Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman.