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F-15 RAPTOR being sold to Saudi!

StoleIt

By StoleIt
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StoleIt Gray Beard

StoleIt

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Posted (edited)

Published August 09, 2010 | The Wall Street Journal

080810_f15s_397x224.jpg

Feb. 25: U.S. Air Force F-15 Raptor fighter jets fly over Kadena Air Base in Japan.

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration plans to sell advanced F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia but won't equip them with long-range weapons systems and other arms whose inclusion was strongly opposed by Israel, diplomats and officials said.

The proposed $30 billion, 10-year arms package, which would be one of the biggest single deals of its kind, has been a source of behind-the-scenes tension during months of negotiations. Israeli officials have repeatedly conveyed their concerns in private that the U.S. risks undermining its military advantage by equipping regional rivals with top-flight technologies.

U.S. officials say they provided "clarifications" in recent weeks about the deal to help damp Israel's qualms. Two officials close to the negotiations said Israel still had some reservations, but that the country isn't expected to challenge the sale by lobbying Congress, which can hold up the deal or push for assurances of its own. The administration is expected to formally notify Congress of its plans as early as next month.

The information-sharing with Israel is part of a longstanding commitment by successive U.S. administrations to maintain its military edge in the region. Congress has the power to block any weapons sales deemed detrimental to Israel's military advantage.

The tussle is a window into the White House's delicate balancing act in the Middle East. The administration has championed advanced weapons sales to Gulf states as a way to check Iranian power. In addition to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. has moved to sell arms to the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states, as well as support on a smaller scale the Lebanese army and Palestinian security forces in the West Bank.

Iran is far from the only security challenge facing Saudi Arabia, which has considerably beefed up its standing army since Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, when the ruling Saud family began to see potential border troubles as a more serious threat.

Earlier this year, Saudi armed forces sustained heavy losses during extended skirmishes with Yemeni rebels on the southern border, the kind of flare-up a new crop of fighter jets would seemingly be ideal to fight.

But the scope and size of the Saudi deal has unnerved Israel and its allies in Congress at a time when U.S.-Israeli relations are particularly unsteady.

Article copied from Fox News but they lifted it from the Wall Street Journal (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/08/sell-f-fighter-jets-saudis/). I thought these were reputable news organizations? I mean really?

And I guess nobody thought it would be good to check and see if Saudi Arabia already owned any F-15's...I mean they only have 82 C/D models and 71 S (E) models...

Edited by stoleit2x
Napoleon_Tanerite Gray Beard

Napoleon_Tanerite

Posted
Posted

Article copied from Fox News but they lifted it from the Wall Street Journal (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/08/sell-f-fighter-jets-saudis/). I thought these were reputable news organizations? I mean really?

And I guess nobody thought it would be good to check and see if Saudi Arabia already owned any F-15's...I mean they only have 82 C/D models and 71 S (E) models...

not to mention a few E-3s to control them. The Saudi Air Force ain't too bad, at least equipment-wise.

SurelySerious Gray Beard

SurelySerious

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Posted

Article copied from Fox News but they lifted it from the Wall Street Journal (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/08/sell-f-fighter-jets-saudis/). I thought these were reputable news organizations? I mean really?

Must be Fox News, WSJ had a different photo and a seemingly correct caption.

OB-JM901_saudi0_F_20100808202825.jpg Associated Press In this photo taken Jan. 25, 2009, F-15 warplanes of the Saudi Air Force fly over Riyadh during a graduation ceremony at King Faisal Air Force University.

SuperWSO Flight Lead

SuperWSO

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not to mention a few E-3s to control them. The Saudi Air Force ain't too bad, at least equipment-wise.

Now if only they could hire some Israelis to fly their hardware.

Guest

Guest

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Then they'd have some average pilots and WSOs.

Shack.

BTW, what would you call this formation...?

OB-JM901_saudi0_F_20100808202825.jpg

Guest Hueypilot812

Guest Hueypilot812

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Then they'd have some average pilots and WSOs.

Fighting Arab air forces can make just about anyone look good.

Toro Gray Beard

Toro

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BTW, what would you call this formation...?

Saudi tactical. Don't even get me started on these idiots.

Hacker Gray Beard

Hacker

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Don't know anything about Preds, but don't you generally take the "remove before flight" tags off pre-taxi?

Lots of jets taxi with pins still in, usually armament pins. The pin on the close side could be for the Hellfire, not sure what the one up there by the FLIR turret is.

Guest

Guest

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Posted

Saudi tactical. Don't even get me started on these idiots.

C'mon...go for it.

Lawman Gray Beard

Lawman

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Lots of jets taxi with pins still in, usually armament pins. The pin on the close side could be for the Hellfire, not sure what the one up there by the FLIR turret is.

We dont have Arm/Safe pins on Hellfires. Somebody told me the Navy has one for the Rocket Motor on theirs but that would surprise me since the M299 rail its self actually has an Arm/Safe switch on the front of it.

VL-16 Crew Dawg

VL-16

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Numbers 27, 28, 29, and 30 in their UPT class.

It's funny because it's true...

I think all of the IP's in my flight during phase III ended up with more gray hair because of our Saudi. One of our JASDF dudes was unofficially paired with him throughout formation too, poor bastard.

Edited by CBM_BB
SurelySerious Gray Beard

SurelySerious

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Posted

We dont have Arm/Safe pins on Hellfires. Somebody told me the Navy has one for the Rocket Motor on theirs but that would surprise me since the M299 rail its self actually has an Arm/Safe switch on the front of it.

Preds do, and Hacker shacked the pin in the wing. One on the ball is for the laser.

BolterKing Crew Dawg

BolterKing

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Saudi tactical. Don't even get me started on these idiots.

Ever tried to get the Saudi F-15's to a merge? Talk about a bunch of pussies. Besides, Allah is on their side and all their weapons have a Pk of 1.0.

schokie Flight Lead

schokie

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Ever tried to get the Saudi F-15's to a merge? Talk about a bunch of pussies.

I didn't think they were that scared. I heard they go to the merge all the time in the pattern.

Duck Gray Beard

Duck

Posted
Posted

I pictured the cleaning lady from family guy after reading your post, usaf36031.

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