Two fuel tanks manufactured at the Lahav plant will be installed in each of the 80 aircraft.
"Globes" has learned that the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf is to equip with Israeli-manufactured fuel tanks the 80 new F16s it procured from the US last week. The fuel tanks were developed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), and are made at the Lahav plant.
Lockheed Martin vice president international business development Bob Trice, who came to Israel for a working visit, told "Globes" last night: "We told the UAE the fuel tanks were Israeli-manufactured. This aroused no objections. Competing against IAI in the tender we published were a number of the world's leading companies in the field of fuel tanks for fighter planes".
Israel and the UAE do not maintain diplomatic relations. Trade relations between Israel and the UAE are on a limited scale. There have hitherto been no defence oriented relations, such as the supply of the fuel tanks.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 16 March, 2000