The Pentagon reportedly agreed to allow the Israelis to make modifications to their F-35 strike fighters, including integration of an indigenously enhanced electronic warfare suite and Israeli-specific electronics, reports Reuters. The Pentagon’s F-35 program office “is working closely with Israel and Lockheed Martin on a package of enhancements” for the Israeli airplanes, confirmed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a joint press briefing with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Aug. 1 in Ashkelon, Israel. Panetta, on an official visit to Israel, added, “This will ensure Israel’s unquestioned air superiority for years to come.” The enhancement package has a value of some $450 million, according to Reuters’ July 26 report. Israel signed an agreement in October 2010 to acquire up to 20 F-35s under a foreign military sales arrangement with a potential total value of $2.75 billion. Congress approved selling the Israelis as many as 75 of the stealth fighters. (Panetta-Barak transcript)
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
