Follow-Up: Tech Transfers to Israel Resume, Conditionally

F-35A JSF In May 2005 Israel and America were close to a formal solution re: Israeli arms exports that would restore Israel’s suspended partner access to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in the wake of Israel’s contract to service China’s Harpy attack UAVs. Now the Washington Times reports that an agreement has taken shape, and that technology transfers have begun again. Even so, Israel will face a graduated process involving several steps before technology sharing is restored completely. IAI Harpy UAV(click to view full) The understanding creates “a process for consultation” between the U.S. and Israeli governments on arms sales, commits Israel to controls outlined in the 1996 Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, and also commits Israel to implement an intergovernment arms-export control system. The Washington Times has more. For those interested in the broader issue of China’s defense buildup and management of its defense programs, Richard D. Fisher, Jr.’s 2004 testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission remains the best one-stop source we’ve found. It covers China’s military modernization programs, how its management of those programs has changed, and the roles of various foreign suppliers.