Israel mulls purchase of U.S. weapons

JERUSALEM, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The Israeli army is considering the purchase of fighter jets and other platforms used by the U.S. army in Iraq, an Israeli army officer said.

The cost of such a purchase would be dramatically lower than buying new equipment, the officer told The Jerusalem Post Monday.

The F-15 fighter jets used by American forces in Iraq are one of the purchases being considered, the officer said.

"The Americans are cutting their defense budget and are expected to decommission certain aircraft," the officer said. "If there is a decision here to increase the defense budget or to purchase additional fighter jets until the F- 35 arrives later this decade, then buying the used American planes could become a real possibility."

One of Israel's concerns is that the delivery date of the first batch of 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will be pushed back beyond 2017, the newspaper said. The assumption is based on recent reports coming from the Pentagon saying production plans may be slowed down.

In such an instance, Israel may be forced to pay more for the aircraft than the deal stipulated in 2010, the paper said.