Israel backing out of US V-22 aircraft sale: report: Israel's defence minister is dropping the purchase of US V-22 Osprey aircraft, raising concerns that this could further chill already frosty relations with Washington, Israel Hayom daily said Thursday.
The mass-circulation freesheet, considered close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Moshe Yaalon's decision went against the Israeli military's wishes.
The paper linked the move to budget constraints, lessons learned from the 50-day summer war in the Gaza Strip and the recent conclusion of an agreement to buy a second batch of costly Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters.
The V-22 Osprey is an advanced vertical takeoff and landing transport aircraft.
Israel Hayom said the planned purchase of six Ospreys would have made Israel the first country outside the United States to deploy them.
