First Israeli F-35 Fighter Aircraft

The first of the 33 F-35 fighter aircraft purchased by the Israel Air Force was displayed to Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and an Israeli delegation at a Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas on Wednesday.
The state-of-the-art F-35, already nicknamed the Adir (Hebrew for mighty or glorious) in Israel, is considered the world's most advanced fighter aircraft.
The display of the aircraft is just the first step – albeit an important one – in a long process of manufacturing, quality control and transfer from the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, to the American government and from there to the Israeli government and the IAF.



For the first two aircrafts, that process will end when they land at the Nevatim air force base near Be'er Sheva on December 12. They will be flown from the United States to Israel by American pilots, with mid-air refueling over the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
When they take off again the following day, they will be piloted by the commander of the Adir Squadron, Lt. Col. Yotam, and one of the five other pilots who make up the founding members of the squadron, all experienced majors.
skip - The first Israeli F-35 Adir

For the first two aircrafts, that process will end when they land at the Nevatim air force base near Be'er Sheva on December 12. They will be flown from the United States to Israel by American pilots, with mid-air refueling over the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
When they take off again the following day, they will be piloted by the commander of the Adir Squadron, Lt. Col. Yotam, and one of the five other pilots who make up the founding members of the squadron, all experienced majors.