F-35 Fighter Jet Deal: Israel Signs on to Make Helmets for The U.S.

Oct 14, 2013 08:52 AM EDT | Matt Mercuro

An Israeli company has been chosen to make hi-tech helmets for U.S. F-35 stealth fighter pilots, according to Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon.

The company, Elbit Systems, and its U.S. partner Rockwell Collins, were selected by the Pentagon and F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin to produce the new helmets for the next generation of Joint Strike Fighter jets.

The new hi-tech planes have been designed to serve as the "backbone of future American air power," according to AFP.

"I congratulate Elbit Systems on becoming a partner in this global flagship project to produce the world's most advanced warplane," Yaalon said in a statement.

Yaalon confirmed this weekend that Israel Military Industries is already part of the F-35 project, as it produces aircraft parts.

"The new helmet, which is to be manufactured in the United States, is capable of putting flight data as well as data about weapons systems and intelligence before the pilot's eyes," said Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot.

The helmets will be delivered as standard with every F-35 purchased around the world starting in 2016.

F-35 aircrafts, which comes in conventional, vertical take off, and aircraft carrier options, had a hard time dealing with cost overruns and production delays.

"With the Israel Air Force planning to decommission its fleet of ageing F-15s and F-16s, the F-35 will continue to ensure the country's global competitiveness," Lockheed Martin's website says about the new helmets.

The program, designed to replace fighter jets in the U.S. Navy, Marines, and Air Force, is already the most expensive in U.S. military history, costing approximately $395.7 billion.

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