The electronic warning system of the Lavi was designed by Elta and Elistra and was based on an active and passive integrated electronic support measures/electronic countermeasures (ESM/ECM) computer-system, and was capable of rapid threat identification and automatic deception and jamming of enemy radar stations. It was carried internally. This system could also be used in the future evironment of more sophisticated enemy radar systems. The Lavi could eventually carried podded power-managed noise and deception jammers.

Lear Siegler/MBT Fully Digital Flight Control System

The Lear Siegler/MBT fully digital flight control system for the Lavi had quadruplex redundancy with stability augmentation, and had no mechanical backup. It compromised two boxes, with two digital channels built into each box. The twin-box configuration hinged on the survivability issue, which was given great emphasis. If one was damaged, the other would provided sufficient control authority to regain base. Each digital channel had associated with it an analogue channel that could have take over its function in the event of a failure. The design total failure rate was not greater than 1 in 107 hours. The programme was launched in October 1982, and production deliveries would began in 1988.

Elbit SMS-86 Stores Managment System

Elbit was selected during early 1985 to develop the SMS-86 stores managment system for the Lavi. The system, which was fully computer-controlled, compromised two units. The stores managment processor included one MIL-STD-1750 computer and two MIL-STD-1553B data-bus interfaces. The armament interface unit included a stores interface compatible with the MIL-STD-1750. The SMS-86 was capable of managing both conventional and smart weapons.

Armament

The weapons carriage of the Lavi was mainly semi-conformal, thus reducing drag, with two hardpoints beneath each wing (the inboard pair was wet for the carriage of two 2,548 litre auxilliary fuel tanks), plus the wingtip rail and seven underfuselage hardpoints (three tandem pairs plus one on the centreline). The main air-to-air weapon was to be the Rafael Python 3, an Israeli-designed short range infra-red (IR) homing dogfight air-to-air missile, while a DEFA Type 552 (Improved) cannon was housed in the starboard wing root. The air-to-ground weapons used by the Lavi included the Hughes AGM-65B Maverick, the IAI Gabriel IIIAS, rockets, and the Mk 81, Mk 82, Mk 83, Mk 84, and M117 bombs.

DEFA Type 552 (Improved)

The DEFA 552 (Improved) is a single-barrel, five-chamber, revolver type automatic aircraft cannon with a high rate of fire (1,100 to 1,500 rounds per minute (rpm)). It is gas actuated, electrically controlled and fires electrically initiated 30 mm ammunition. The ammunition is belt fed from the left in the Lavi.

The 30 mm DEFA 552 cannon arrived in Israel on the Dassault Mystere IVA fighters and it turned out to be a very effective cannon. Israel Military Industries (IMI) was able to get the licence rights to manufacture the cannon and it became very popular with the IDF/AF - it was used in the Dassault Mirage IIICJ, the IAI Kfir and the McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk.

In its present form, the modifications and improvements results from its extensive use in combat by the IDF/AF.

The optional ammunitions for the DEFA Type 552 (Improved) can include:

• Hard Core Projectile/Incendiary (AP/I).
• High Explosive/Incendiary (HE/I).
• Semi Armour Piercing/Incendiary/Tracer (SAP/I/T).
• Semi Armour Piercing/High Explosive Incendiary (SAP/HEI).
• Target Practice (TP).

Rafael Python 3

When the Shafrir 2 entered service with the IDF/AF in 1978, the engineers of Rafael started the development of the Python 3, driven by the desire for a larger warhead to increase lethality. A revised airframe with large, highly-swept wings was combined with a new pattern of infra-red (IR) seeker with a plus or minus 30 degree gimbal angle.

The Python 3 has a weight of 120 kg and can be operated in boresight, caged or radar-slaved mode, and allows all-aspect attacks. The maximum speed is Mach 3.5, and the Python 3 can pull 40 g. The high-explosive (HE) warhead weights 11 kg and is detonated by an active laser fuze. By the time of the war in Lebanon in 1982, the Python 3 was in service with the IDF/AF, and played a major role in the successful air battles against the Syrian air force over the Bekaa valley. It was credited with about 50 air-to-air victories. The Python 3 has been exported to China and South-Africa, and may be licence-built in China as the PL-8. Note: the Python 4 is now in service.

Hughes AGM-65B Maverick

The AGM-65 was developed during the war in Vietnam as a replacement for the AGM-12 Bullpup. The AGM-65B weights 212 kg and has the advance of 'scene magnification', which enables it to be locked-on to the same target as an AGM-65A from twice the range. The maximum launch range depends on the size of the target. The maximum aerodynamic range is about 23 km, but a more realistic range is 15 km. The high-explosive shaped-charge warhead has a weight of 57 kg. The AGM-65B is white, with a clear seeker dome and has 'SCENE MAG' stenciled on its side.

IAI Gabriel IIIAS

The Gabriel IIIAS is a radar-guided anti-ship missile and entered service with the IDF/AF in about 1985. The Gabriel IIIAS weights 560 kg, has a range of 33 km and has a 150 kg semi-armor piercing (SAP) warhead. It is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor and is inertially guided at a radar altimeter-controlled altitude of 20 m, with the option of a midcourse update from the Lavi. In the terminal phase, the Gabriel IIIAS descends to strike the target at the waterline.

Bombs

The Lavi could carry the Mk 80 series of bombs (113 kg Mk 81, 227 kg Mk 82, 454 kg Mk 83, and 907 kg Mk 84) with an explosive content of circa 50 per cent. The Mk 80 series are based on studies done by Douglas Aircaft in 1946. The production began during the Korean War (1950 to 1953), but the first saw first service in the Vietnam War (1965 to 1973). During the Vietnam War, the Mk 81 bomb was found to be ineffective, and the use was discontinued.

A number of different fins can be fitted to the Mk 80 series. The low drag fins include the low drag, general purpose (LDGP) fin and the high drag fins include the air inflatable retard (AIR) fin and the Snakeye (SE) fin. The Korean War-vintage 340 kg M117 bomb has an explosive content of circa 65 per cent and was widely used during operation Desert Storm by the Boeing B-52G Stratofortress.

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Lavi 2000

Shortly before the cancellation of the Lavi programme, it was proposed that the Israeli Ministery of Defence (MoD) would sponsor what was then termed the Lavi 2000, a new combat aircraft for the next century.

Cancellation

The total cost for the development and production of the Lavi was 6,400 million US dollar in 1983 and approximately 40 per cent was paid by the US government. The fly-away price for the Lavi would be between 15 and 17 million US dollar. The development costs of 1,370 million US dollar were relatively low, because much use was made of existing technology.

Even before the first Lavi (B-01) flew, the storm clouds were gathering. In 1983, the US government refused to give the export licences for a number of essential parts (for example the wings), because the parts provided high technology products. A total of 80 US firms would provide technology through licences. In 1984 the licences were awarded. Furthermore, the US government was not prepared to give money and technology to an aircraft that could be a major concurrent for the F-16C/D and the F/A-18C/D on the future export market.

In the spring of 1985, Israel was in an economic depression and the Lavi programme was almost cancelled. Then, a dispute arose as to the final unit cost, the Israeli figure being far less than the US calculations showed. The US Congress withdrew financial support for the Lavi programme.

The Israeli government could not finance the project without US support and cancelled the Lavi programme on 30 August 1987. The vote was 12 to 11 to cancel the Lavi programme. After the cancellation the US government offered the A-10A, AH-64A, AV-8B, F-15, F-15I, F-16C/D and UH-60A as replacements for the Lavi, all Israeli wishes that were previously rejected. In May 1988, Israel ordered 30 F-16C Block 40 and 30 F-16D Block 40 under Peace Marble III.

The Lavi programme was a truly national programme, and everyone in Israel followed the progression. The cancellation of the programme was a truly sad event.

After the Cancellation

Although the flight performance envelope was not completely explored, it seems probable that the Lavi would have been at least the equal of the F-16C/D in most departments, and possible even superior in some. It had been calculated that the Lavi could reef into a turn a full half second quicker than the F-16, simply because a conventional tailed fighter suffers a slight delay while the tailplane takes up a download, whereas with a canard fighter reaction is instantaneous. By the same token, pointability of canard fighters is quicker and more precise. Where the Lavi might really have scored heavely was in supersonic manoeuvrability, basically due to the lower wave drag of a canard delta.

It was orginally planned to use Lavi B-03, a two-seater, as a test vehicle for the Elta EL/M-2035 radar, the Elta/Elistra electronic warning (EW) system, the Elta ARC-740 fully computerised onboard UHF radio system, the Tuman TINS 1700 advanced inertial navigation system, the Elbit SMS-86 stores managment system, the Astronautics air data computer and many other avionics of indigenous design.

A clause included in the Israeli government's decision to cancel the Lavi programme on 30 August 1987 stated that the development of the third Lavi prototype (Lavi B-03) would continue under Israeli Ministery of Defence (MoD) funding to test the avionics fit of the Lavi. The intention was to satisfy the industry and allow for the future export of the systems of the LAvi as a complete package.

However, the IDF/AF objected strongly and argued that the funds, about 90 million US dollar, were required for other programmes, such as the first stage definition for the upgrade of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle of the IDF/AF. The MoD finally surrendered to pressure and on 8 July 1988 the Minister of Defence, Itschak Rabin, accepted the decision to wirthdraw the MoD's funding for the programme.

In August 1988, Morshe Keret, IAI's general director, announced that IAI would use its own financial resources to produce the Lavi B-03, by using parts of either the Lavi B-01 or the Lavi B-02, and it had approximately 15 per cent larger elevons. The Lavi TD (Technology Demonstrator) carried a belly-mounted instrumentation and a telemetry pod. The Lavi TD was rolled out after the cancellation of the Lavi programme. It was intended as a demonstrator for IAI's advanced fighter/cockpit technologies, which the company is applying by retrofit to a number of earlier combat aircraft, and as an equipment testbed.

The maiden flight of the Lavi TD (B-03) slipped from March 1989 to 25 September 1989, when it made its maiden flight piloted by IAI chief test pilot Menacachem Schmoll from Ben Gurion International Airport, following several last miute delays. An immediate application involved the improved digital flight control system integrated with the advanced manoeuvre and attack system. It was still flying in 1994 and was still used as a (non-flying) testbed in 1998.

Some of the avionics of the Lavi have found operational applications. An Elta/Elistra electronic warning (EW) system, probably based on that designed for the Lavi, equip thirty of the sixty F-16C/Ds that were delivered to the IDF/AF from May 1991 onwards following the Minister of Defence's controversial decision on 27 November 1988 to split the order equally between Loral and Elta/Elistra.

Lavi B-02 is on display at the IDF/AF Museum in Hatzerim. It does not have the powerplant installed, because it was removed for use in the Lavi TD (B-03). The PW1120 turbofan is not manufactured anymore, so IAI need it as long as it works.

Lavi B-01, Lavi B-04 and Lavi B-05 were sold to the metal industry and were melted to aluminum blocks in 1996. The metal industry was not alowed to disassamble the aircraft or sell some of the parts. The event was well covered by the Israeli media.

At the beginning of the nineties there were rumours that Israel had delivered a Lavi to South Africa.

The Chinese Chengdu J-10 (F-10) seems to draw heavily on the Lavi programme. However, a close examination of the model of the J-10 shows nothing more than an old technology fighter with the shape of a modern one. A prototype was in the final stage of construction at the end of 1997 and Israeli and Russian companies were competing to provide the radar and the associated air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground weapons.