ECLECTIC AIRPLANE: THE WAR IN LEBANON PROVED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ISRAELI KFIR JET, A HODGEPODGE OF AIRCRAFT DESIGN THE ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE ABOUT 1970.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150028-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: October 2, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

S1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29: CIA-
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ART" CT -, 1
ON PAGE - f)
TIE dASHINGTON UCT
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Eclectic Airplane: The war in
Lebanon proved the effectiveness of
the Israeli Kfir jet. a hodgepodge of
aircraft design the Israelis have been
working on since about 1970.
The Kfir, which was supposed. to,
be ready for the 1973 war but never-
made it into action,,is based on a-
French Mirage airframe and power'
ered by a General Electric J79 en-
gine, the same power plant as in the
F4 Phantom.
According to a CIA report, "The*
Kfir can fly at more than twice the
speed of sound and can be used ei-
ther as an interceptor or a ground-
attack aircraft." The plane's devel-_
opment was set back for a couple of
years while the Israelis reworked it
to overcome the damage caused by
an East German spy who had infil
trated the Israeli aircraft industry. -
In their annoying way, the Israelis
didn't tell the United States about
their great new warplane. The CIA
only learned about the Kfir when an'
internal Israeli message was inter-'
cepted.
One problem with the Israeli
plane is its hotshot Israeli pilots. Ac-
cording to the CIA, the Israelis have-
a tendency to fly their planes be-'
yond normal stress limits. In fact.-
the month after the Kfir was un-
veiled in 1975, one of the planes was
lost over the Mediterranean when it
"reportedly disintegrated while ac:.
celerating at high speed."
The Kfir's components are made.
and assembled in Israel under U.S.
license. It is now a hot export item
for Israel.
R D P90-00965 R000100150028-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150028-8