IAI Lavi
Encyclopedia
The IAI Lavi (Hebrew
: לביא, "Young Lion") was a combat aircraft developed in Israel
in the 1980s. It was a multi-billion dollar fighter aircraft
project that was disbanded when the Israeli government concluded it could not finance production on its own, could not achieve a consensus on the Lavi's cost-effectiveness and received political pressure from the US government to cancel a fighter that would compete with American exports. In addition, it was judged that using a 4th generation fighter as the basis for the design imposed certain constraints that seriously called into question the advisability of the programme at a time when the US was developing 5th generation all-aspect stealth aircraft. Only two of the Lavi prototype
s remain — one is on display at the Israeli Air Force (IAF) museum and the other (the Lavi TD, technology demonstrator) can still be found at the IAI facilities at the Ben Gurion airport
.
, when the Israeli government authorized the IAF to present it with a list of technical specifications for the development of the IAF's future fighter. The development stage began in October 1982
, with the choice of a Pratt & Whitney
engine already having been made.
One of the Lavis most distinct advantages is its functional features, especially its cockpit, custom-built entirely using input from active IAF fighter pilots. Drawing on their operational experience, the design was geared to let the pilot handle the tactical aspects of the battle, without having to worry about monitoring and controlling the various subsystems. The avionics
of the Lavi were considered to be innovative and groundbreaking, and included self-analysis equipment to make maintenance easier.
The aircraft features a delta wing
with large, steerable canard
s situated in the front of the aircraft. While this configuration affords excellent maneuverability it also exhibits natural instability in flight. To compensate, the Lavi was outfitted with a sophisticated digital fly-by-wire system which allows the plane to take advantage of this particular wing design while eliminating its shortcoming. The Lavi was one of the first aircraft to feature this type of configuration which has become more common in many other fighter aircraft.
On December 31, 1986, the first prototype of the Lavi took off on its maiden flight. The test pilot, Menachem Shmul, head of IAI's Air Operations section, took off at 13:21 and stayed in the air for 26 minutes, during which he checked the engine and controls.
About three months later, a second Lavi prototype took to the air. It was made as primarily an attack aircraft with more powerful radar and a higher payload. In its maiden flight, the engine systems, flight control, electrical system, hydraulics and air conditioning were evaluated. The second prototype had some improvements over the first, with a belly-mounted fuel tank, a special midair refuelling probe and several avionic systems that were not employed in the first prototype.
The IAI had produced three prototypes out of the originally planned five when the Israeli government decided to cancel the project because of budget problems and bickering among various economic and political pressure groups. The total cost for the development and production of the Lavi was US$6.4 billion in 1983 ($ in present-day terms), of which around 40% was funded by the United States and 60% by the Israeli government. The project was canceled in part because the U.S. was not prepared to finance an aircraft that would compete in the export market with the F-16C/D
and the F/A-18C/D
, and also because a dispute arose as to the final cost. The Israeli government was unable to finance the project alone and canceled it on August 30, 1987. The decision to cancel was approved with a majority of only one vote.
Two years after the project's cancellation, the IAI has completed the building of the third Lavi prototype, which served as a Technology Demonstrator (TD) and a flying testbed to some of the IAI's projects. The TD flew until the mid nineties, and was later used as a ground testbed.
Throughout the project's lifetime, Likud
minister Moshe Arens
, himself an IAF veteran, was the Lavis main advocate. However, the military was not of one mind on the issue. A counter-argument was that the Lavi did not represent a sufficient advance over the F-16 or other comparable aircraft to justify its higher cost, and Israel was better off buying larger numbers of the American plane. Some community welfare organizations in Israel blasted the spending associated with the Lavi as a bottomless pit, and contrasted it with dwindling expenditure on health and education.
However, while the Lavi project was canceled, its development represented an important opportunity to demonstrate and advance the capabilities of Israel's aerospace industry; moreover, many of the aircraft's sub-systems and components continued to be developed by the Israeli aerospace industry and are nowadays available in the defense marketplace as separate systems, contributing to Israeli exports.
According to some sources China was in possession of a Lavi during development of the J-10
. Furthermore, due to the high level of American involvement in terms of technology sharing as well as funding, if these allegations were proven true, the sale of a Lavi and technical assistance in the production of the J-10 would represent a direct and illicit transfer of American technology to the Chinese by the Israelis. In sum, to a degree, the most advanced Chinese aircraft in service would contain the most advanced American technology. However, the designer of the J-10, Song Wencong
(宋文骢), has denied any connection whatsoever with Lavi program, pointing to similarities with the J-9
, which was developed in the 1960s and predates the Lavi.
Armscor
of South Africa
was reported to have made concerted efforts to recruit technicians that had worked on the Lavi for its Atlas Cheetah
upgrade project.
When the IAI Lavi was cancelled on August 30, 1987, a total of five airframes had been built. Prototypes #1 and #2 were completed prototypes, while #3, #4, and #5 were incomplete. Parts from unit #1 and #2 were pulled to complete unit #3 as the private-venture technology demonstrator (TD) aircraft. The gutted unit #2 was put in the Israeli Air Force museum at the Hatzerim Airbase for static display, and the rest (#1, #4, & #5) were scrapped.
The technological knowledge accumulated during the Lavi’s development contributed to the achievement of Israel's first launch
of a satellite into space in 1988. It resulted in a new level in avionics
systems, and contributed to Israel's high-tech
boom of the 1990s by releasing into the economy the technological talent of almost 1,500 engineers that had been concentrated on this one project.
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
: לביא, "Young Lion") was a combat aircraft developed in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the 1980s. It was a multi-billion dollar fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
project that was disbanded when the Israeli government concluded it could not finance production on its own, could not achieve a consensus on the Lavi's cost-effectiveness and received political pressure from the US government to cancel a fighter that would compete with American exports. In addition, it was judged that using a 4th generation fighter as the basis for the design imposed certain constraints that seriously called into question the advisability of the programme at a time when the US was developing 5th generation all-aspect stealth aircraft. Only two of the Lavi prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s remain — one is on display at the Israeli Air Force (IAF) museum and the other (the Lavi TD, technology demonstrator) can still be found at the IAI facilities at the Ben Gurion airport
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
.
History
The Lavi project began in February 19801980 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1980:-Events:* Summer 1980 – The British Aerospace Sea Harrier enters operational service with the Fleet Air Arm, providing the British Royal Navy with its first high-performance fixed-wing aircraft capability since the retirement of the aircraft...
, when the Israeli government authorized the IAF to present it with a list of technical specifications for the development of the IAF's future fighter. The development stage began in October 1982
1982 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1982:-January:* January 8 - The Airbus A300 is certified, becoming the first wide-body airliner with cockpit accommodations for only two to be certified....
, with the choice of a Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
engine already having been made.
One of the Lavis most distinct advantages is its functional features, especially its cockpit, custom-built entirely using input from active IAF fighter pilots. Drawing on their operational experience, the design was geared to let the pilot handle the tactical aspects of the battle, without having to worry about monitoring and controlling the various subsystems. The avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
of the Lavi were considered to be innovative and groundbreaking, and included self-analysis equipment to make maintenance easier.
Delta wing
The delta wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta .-Delta-shaped stabilizers:...
with large, steerable canard
Canard (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, canard is an airframe configuration of fixed-wing aircraft in which the forward surface is smaller than the rearward, the former being known as the "canard", while the latter is the main wing...
s situated in the front of the aircraft. While this configuration affords excellent maneuverability it also exhibits natural instability in flight. To compensate, the Lavi was outfitted with a sophisticated digital fly-by-wire system which allows the plane to take advantage of this particular wing design while eliminating its shortcoming. The Lavi was one of the first aircraft to feature this type of configuration which has become more common in many other fighter aircraft.
On December 31, 1986, the first prototype of the Lavi took off on its maiden flight. The test pilot, Menachem Shmul, head of IAI's Air Operations section, took off at 13:21 and stayed in the air for 26 minutes, during which he checked the engine and controls.
The IAI had produced three prototypes out of the originally planned five when the Israeli government decided to cancel the project because of budget problems and bickering among various economic and political pressure groups. The total cost for the development and production of the Lavi was US$6.4 billion in 1983 ($ in present-day terms), of which around 40% was funded by the United States and 60% by the Israeli government. The project was canceled in part because the U.S. was not prepared to finance an aircraft that would compete in the export market with the F-16C/D
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
and the F/A-18C/D
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
, and also because a dispute arose as to the final cost. The Israeli government was unable to finance the project alone and canceled it on August 30, 1987. The decision to cancel was approved with a majority of only one vote.
Two years after the project's cancellation, the IAI has completed the building of the third Lavi prototype, which served as a Technology Demonstrator (TD) and a flying testbed to some of the IAI's projects. The TD flew until the mid nineties, and was later used as a ground testbed.
Throughout the project's lifetime, Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
minister Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens
Moshe Arens is an Israeli aeronautical engineer, researcher and former diplomat and politician. A member of the Knesset between 1973 and 1992 and again from 1999 until 2003, he served as Minister of Defense three times and once as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Arens has also served as the Israeli...
, himself an IAF veteran, was the Lavis main advocate. However, the military was not of one mind on the issue. A counter-argument was that the Lavi did not represent a sufficient advance over the F-16 or other comparable aircraft to justify its higher cost, and Israel was better off buying larger numbers of the American plane. Some community welfare organizations in Israel blasted the spending associated with the Lavi as a bottomless pit, and contrasted it with dwindling expenditure on health and education.
However, while the Lavi project was canceled, its development represented an important opportunity to demonstrate and advance the capabilities of Israel's aerospace industry; moreover, many of the aircraft's sub-systems and components continued to be developed by the Israeli aerospace industry and are nowadays available in the defense marketplace as separate systems, contributing to Israeli exports.
According to some sources China was in possession of a Lavi during development of the J-10
Chengdu J-10
The Chengdu J-10 is a multirole fighter aircraft designed and produced by the People's Republic of China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation for the People's Liberation Army Air Force...
. Furthermore, due to the high level of American involvement in terms of technology sharing as well as funding, if these allegations were proven true, the sale of a Lavi and technical assistance in the production of the J-10 would represent a direct and illicit transfer of American technology to the Chinese by the Israelis. In sum, to a degree, the most advanced Chinese aircraft in service would contain the most advanced American technology. However, the designer of the J-10, Song Wencong
Song Wencong
Song Wencong is a Chinese aircraft designer, who is responsible for the development of the single seat version of the Chengdu J-10.-External links:...
(宋文骢), has denied any connection whatsoever with Lavi program, pointing to similarities with the J-9
Chengdu J-9
|...
, which was developed in the 1960s and predates the Lavi.
Armscor
Armscor (South Africa)
Armscor , the Armaments Corporation of South Africa is a South African government-supported weapon-producing conglomerate that was officially established in 1968, primarily as a response to the international sanctions by the United Nations against South Africa that began in 1963 and...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
was reported to have made concerted efforts to recruit technicians that had worked on the Lavi for its Atlas Cheetah
Atlas Cheetah
The Atlas Cheetah is a fighter aircraft currently operated by the Ecuadorian Air Force. It was operated by the South African Air Force between 1986 and 2008. It was first built as a major upgrade of the Dassault Mirage III by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa in South Africa and is...
upgrade project.
Fate of prototype aircraft
Results of development
Despite the Lavi’s cancellation, the investment in its development had significant results:The technological knowledge accumulated during the Lavi’s development contributed to the achievement of Israel's first launch
Ofeq
Ofeq, also spelled Offek or Ofek is the designation of a series of Israeli reconnaissance satellites first launched in 1988. All Ofeq satellites have been carried on top of Shavit rockets from Palmachim Airbase in Israel, on the Mediterranean coast. The Low Earth Orbit satellites complete one...
of a satellite into space in 1988. It resulted in a new level in avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
systems, and contributed to Israel's high-tech
Science and technology in Israel
Science and technology in Israel is one of the country's most developed sectors. The percentage of Israelis engaged in scientific and technological inquiry, and the amount spent on research and development in relation to gross domestic product , is amongst the highest in the world...
boom of the 1990s by releasing into the economy the technological talent of almost 1,500 engineers that had been concentrated on this one project.
Specifications (Lavi)
See also
External links
- "The United States and the LAVI" by Col James DeLoughryJames DeLoughryColonel James P. DeLoughry, USAF is the former Chief of Intelligence, Air Mobility Command.DeLoughry was commissioned at Manhattan College, New York City, New York, in May 1971 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Office Training Corps...
, USAF, Federation of American Scientists - "Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Lavi" by Ruud Deurenberg, Jewish Virtual Library