US Weapons To Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu Praises New Jets As Donald Trump Slams Deal Cost

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Monday the arrival of high-tech F-35 stealth fighter jets in Israel, the first country other than the U.S. to receive the advanced warplanes, as President-elect Donald Trump slammed the expensive and oft-delayed Pentagon jet program, Reuters reported.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter joined Netanyahu and a number of Israel's top military brass at the ceremony for the first two planes that arrived at the Nevatim air base, located in the country's southern Negev Desert. Carter said that the jets were necessary for maintaining Israeli military dominance in the region, while Netanyahu told those in attendance that the F-35 jets would expand the effective sphere of his country's already powerful air force.

"Our long arm has now become longer and mightier," Netanyahu said.

The planes were the first of 50, each estimated at around $100 million dollars, expected to be flown to Israel by U.S. pilots. The program is part of a costly and controversial Pentagon initiative to put the F-35 into service, with delays and problems pushing costs up to $400 billion. Apparent weather-related delays in getting the planes from Italy to Israel and a harsh Tweet from President-elect Donald Trump brought further heat on the program.

"The F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20," Trump wrote, reportedly sending the shares of the jet's developer, Lockheed Martin, down at least 5 percent.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who once supported the jet and has criticized Trump, backed the president-elect's criticism of the F-35. Back in April, he called the Pentagon's effort "both a scandal and a tragedy with respect to cost, schedule and performance."

Political opponent Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) fired back against Trump's comments, calling the President-elect "just plain wrong" and urged him to "learn more about the facts" before taking action office next month. Lockheed Martin's F-35 program head Jeff Babione also defended the project, saying the company took as many cost-saving measures as possible. As president, Trump cannot cancel the deal with Israel but he can scale it down.

Earlier this year, the U.S. signed a record $38 billion military aid deal with Israel, vowing protection for the next decade. Although Israel is not engaged in any declared wars, it occasionally bombs groups it deems threatening in neighboring Palestine, Syria and Lebanon such as the Lebanese-based Shiite paramilitary movement Hezbollah, who enjoys backing from Iran. Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence and the two have vowed military action against one another should the situation escalate.