View source for IAI Lavi

{{Short description|Israeli prototype jet fighter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= Lavi
 |image= File:IAI-Lavi-B-2-hatzerim-2.jpg
 |caption= Lavi B-02 prototype
 |type= Multirole fighter
 |manufacturer= [[Israel Aircraft Industries]]
 |designer=
 |first_flight= 31 December 1986
 |introduction=
 |retired=
 |status= Canceled in August 1987
 |primary_user=
 |more_users=
 |produced= 
 |number_built= 3 prototypes<ref name=Wilson/>
 |developed_from=
 |variants=
}}
The '''IAI Lavi''' ({{langx|he|לביא}}, "lion") is a single-engined [[fourth-generation jet fighter|fourth-generation multirole jet fighter]] developed in Israel, by [[Israel Aircraft Industries]] (IAI), during the 1980s. The decision to develop the Lavi was controversial, both with the Israeli public, due to the enormous associated costs, and particularly with the [[U.S. government]] due to competition with American jets on the export market. By 1984 Israel, with a population of 4 million, had amongst the world's highest military expenditure as a proportion of [[GDP]], at approximately 18.9%, which was considered unsustainable. These issues contributed to the cancellation of development of the aircraft by the [[Israeli government]] during the [[flight-test]] phase of development in August 1987.

The Israeli cabinet's cancellation of the program at a late stage by a 12–11 vote continued to arouse controversy and bitterness in Israel for decades, with [[Moshe Arens]], the main political figure behind the Lavi project, stating in 2013 that if the project had not been cancelled the IAF "would be operating the world's most advanced fighter, upgraded over the years to incorporate operational experience and newer technology."<ref>[http://www.upi.com/In-Israel-lingering-bitterness-over-a-failed-fighter-project/78961381856103 In Israel, lingering bitterness over a failed fighter project] 15 Oct. 2013, UPI</ref>

The Lavi performed successfully in flight tests, with its flight handling described as "excellent" by test pilots.<ref name="duerenberg">Deurenberg, Ruud. [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/lavi.html "Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Lavi."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112072220/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_%26_Culture/lavi.html |date=12 January 2017 }} ''Jewish Virtual Library'', Retrieved: 23 September 2016.</ref> The Lavi was planned to be the mainstay of the [[Israeli Air Force]], and considerable export sales for the aircraft had been forecast. The design was unique in the combination of a small, aerodynamic, highly maneuverable plane, with sophisticated, software-rich systems, low armed drag due to semi-conformal weapons carriage, and the ability to carry a large payload at high speed and over long distances. {{As of|2012}} two preserved [[prototype]]s have been placed on public display.

==Development==
===Origins===
Conceptually, the Lavi had its origins in the idea espoused by IAF commander and [[Minister of Defence]] [[Ezer Weizman]] that Israel's combat aircraft should fall into 'two-tiers' – a small number of high performance aircraft and a larger bulk with less sophistication and complexity. In the mid-1970s, the plane that was to become the Lavi was meant to be a multirole [[fighter-bomber]] to replace elderly IAF aircraft such as the [[Douglas A-4 Skyhawk]] and [[IAI Kfir]]; however continuous revisions of the proposed aircraft led to the incorporation of more advanced technologies and ideas to produce an ambitious aircraft<ref>Van Creveld 2008, p. 274.</ref> in the class of the American [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|General Dynamics F-16]]. The IAF was estimated to have a requirement for 300 aircraft, 60 of which were expected to be combat-capable two-seat trainers.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clarke |first1=Duncan L. | last2=Cohen |first2=Alan S.  |title=The United States, Israel and the Lavi Fighter |journal=[[Middle East Journal]] | publisher=[[Middle East Institute]] |volume=40 |issue=1 |page=17 | date=Winter 1986 |jstor=4327246   }}</ref>

In February 1980, a milestone towards the development of the Lavi occurred when the Israeli government granted its authorisation for the IAF to present its list of technical specifications and requirements which sought the IAF's envisioned future fighter aircraft. While the Lavi was heavily influenced by these requirements, it was also affected by concepts of the wider strategic situation that Israel was confronted by. Menachem Eine, who headed the Lavi program, concluded that any proposed aircraft would be subject to a substantially greater threat than any envisioned US fighter, and would have to be developed with these threats in mind. Eine observed that the aircraft needed to not only take into consideration the best [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] armaments that would be potentially faced in combat, but the best American equipment as well, as both [[Egypt]] and [[Saudi Arabia]] were being supplied with modern American fighter aircraft.<ref name = "fleming 236">Fleming 1983, p. 263.</ref>

In addition to the primary intention to perform air-to-ground missions, the IAF sought to configure the Lavi to perform various other roles, as Israel perceived the likelihood of a potential sustained conflict under which there would be a need to fight for aerial supremacy against the efforts of multiple neighbouring adversaries to be high. The Lavi was therefore designed to possess both the flight performance and capabilities to perform as an effective supplement to the IAF's own [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle|F-15]] fleet in carrying out aerial combat missions.<ref name ="farley 22"/> As the Lavi was viewed as being relatively easy to fly, the aircraft was also under consideration as an advanced jet trainer as well.<ref name ="farley 22">Farley 1991, p. 22.</ref>

Early on, IAI decided to adopt a [[delta wing]] configuration, of which the company was already familiar with through its work on the earlier Kfir, which was paired with large, steerable [[Canard (aeronautics)|canard]]s situated forward of the wing.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> The delta wing arrangement was relatively low-weight, provided space for considerable fuel capacity, a smooth low-altitude flight attitude, and high levels of directional stability while flown at high [[angle of attack|angles of attack]] (AOA). The canard generated additional lift and positive control when at high AOAs.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> While this configuration afforded excellent maneuverability, it also exhibited natural instability during flight. To compensate, the Lavi was fitted with a sophisticated digital [[Aircraft flight control systems#Fly-by-wire|fly-by-wire]] system which allowed the aircraft to take advantage of this particular wing design while eliminating this shortcoming. The Lavi was one of the first aircraft to feature this type of configuration, which has since become more commonplace amongst fighter aircraft.

The adoption of certain components, such as an engine produced by [[Pratt & Whitney]], were viewed as foregone conclusions; the [[Beit Shemesh]] engine plant already had an established relationship with the company and planned to co-produce the engine, thus enabling some of the manufacturing to be carried out domestically in Israel.<ref name="hunter 44"/> Some elements of the engine had to be manufactured in the US due to some of the design aspects having been classified as secret.<ref name = "fleming 237"/> The development of the Lavi was viewed by some figures in Israeli military and government circles, most notably [[Moshe Arens]] and [[Shimon Peres]], as being an important program to modernise Israeli industry overall and to increase its technical ability, helping the nation progress towards becoming a [[developed nation]].<ref name = "fleming 236"/>

===Testing===
[[File:I042107 213 (469010793).jpg|thumb|Head-on view of a Lavi prototype]]

The development program was planned to involve a total of five prototypes of the Lavi being completed, three of which were to have used a two-seat cockpit configuration.<ref name = "fleming 237"/>

On 31 December 1986, the first prototype 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 handling was described as "excellent", with a high degree of stability in crosswind landings. About three months later, a second ''Lavi'' prototype took to the air; it featured improvements and additional features over the first, with a belly-mounted fuel tank, a special [[midair refuelling]] probe and several new avionic systems. Both B-01 and B-02 were tandem two-seaters, with the rear cockpit occupied by test equipment.<ref name=duerenberg/> By August 1987, the month in which the Lavi was canceled, a total of 82 sorties had reportedly been flown between the two completed prototypes, during which a significant proportion of the [[flight envelope]] had been explored.<ref name="farley 22"/><ref>Arens, Moshe. [https://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Books-Who-shot-down-the-Lavi-446763 "Books: Who shot down the Lavi?"] ''Jerusalem Post'', 3 March 2016.</ref>

===Controversy and cancellation===
While the Lavi had attracted the steadfast support of IAF veteran and [[Likud]] minister Moshe Arens, there was considerable dissent over the development. While the U.S. was a key partner in the aircraft's development, there was vocal political opposition to financing the Lavi, which may have been a competitive aircraft in the export market against American aircraft such as the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16C/D]] and the [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F/A-18C/D]]. The Lavi would have also required a great deal of other competing military requirements and sought investments to be abandoned, thus there were elements of the armed forces that did not support the project and those officers who felt that the F-16 possessed similar performance to the Lavi and was readily available already, making the foreign F-16 cheaper and easier to procure.<ref>Rabinovich and Shaked 1989, pp. 465–66.</ref><ref>Van Creveld 2008, p. 271.</ref> IAF Major General [[Avihu Ben-Nun]] argued in favour of canceling the Lavi and acquiring 75 F-16s instead.<ref>Haglund 1989, p. 206.</ref>

{{Quote box|align=right|width=15%|quote="The Lavi is better for security than holding onto the [[Gaza Strip]]"|source=<small>Israeli [[Prime Minister]] [[Shimon Peres]], 18 May 1987<ref>Rabinovich and Shaked 1989, p. 486.</ref></small>}}
Proponents, such as the [[Minister without Portfolio]] Moshe Arens, advocated that the Lavi was a high prestige program, asserting Israeli technological capabilities and would work to the nation's economic advantage. A failure to proceed with the development could lead to significant job losses and possibly contribute to emigration;<ref name = "R S 464-467"/> the Israeli State [[Comptroller]] argued the resulting unemployment was negligible.<ref>Haglund 1989, pp. 205–6.</ref> Arens was keen to promote potential partnerships and technology exchanges in regards to the Lavi.<ref name = "hunter 44-45">Hunter 1987, pp. 44–45.</ref> Perhaps optimistically, IAI had projected export sales of the Lavi to be as many as 407 units to customers including South Africa, Chile, Taiwan, and Argentina; there were reports of significant South African interest and involvement during the early development of the Lavi.<ref name = "hunter 44">Hunter 1987, p. 44.</ref> In a later development, however, Israel gave the U.S. explicit guarantees that the Lavi would not be made available to export.<ref name = "hunter 45">Hunter 1987, p. 45.</ref>

[[File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - P.M. Peres in a Lavi Fighter.jpg|thumb|Shimon Peres seated in the cockpit of a mock-up Lavi, August 1985]]
Prior to and following the cancellation, IAI employees organised numerous demonstrations and public appeals to rally support for the Lavi; public opinion was roughly evenly divided on the subject of the Lavi.<ref name = "R S 464-467">Rabinovich and Shaked 1989, pp. 464–467.</ref> In the US, there was considerable opposition to the Lavi program from [[the Pentagon]] due to the fear that the heavy financial costs would impair other military capabilities; there were also questions about the financial soundness of the project and that Lavi technologies may be shared with South Africa, which had a history of close military cooperation with Israel.<ref name = "hunter 44-45"/> The financial burden of developing the Lavi were such that the Governor of the [[Bank of Israel]], [[Michael Bruno (economist)|Michael Bruno]], publicly stated that Israel could not realistically afford the "luxury of producing fighter-aircraft" and would harm overall economic growth.<ref>Haglund 1989, pp. 208, 212.</ref>

On 30 August 1987, Israel's cabinet conducted a decisive vote on whether to continue the development of the Lavi; this development was influenced by considerable lobbying by the U.S., who made several compensatory proposals in exchange for the cancellation.<ref>Haglund 1989, pp. 214–213.</ref><ref>Friedman, Thomas L. [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/31/world/israelis-decide-not-to-construct-lavi-jet-fighter.html "Israelis Decide Not to Construct Lavi Jet Fighter".] ''New York Times'', 31 August 1987.</ref><ref>Druckman, Yaron. [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4695739,00.html "The Israeli fighter jet that never was."] ''ynetnews.com'', 30 August 2015.</ref> The vote was highly politicised, the [[Israeli Labor Party]] ordered its members to vote against the project.<ref>Arens, Moshe. [https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/the-lavi-a-dream-aborted-in-mid-flight-1.462825 "The Lavi, a Dream Aborted in Mid-flight."] ''Haarterz'', 5 September 2012.</ref> The Cabinet rejected the continuation at a margin of 12–11, with one cabinet member abstaining. Following the outcome of the vote, Lavi supporter Moshe Arens offered his resignation, refusing to be associated with the decision to terminate the aircraft.<ref name = "haglund 213">Haglund 1989, p. 213.</ref> Shortly afterwards, Israel approved the purchase of 90 F-16Cs from the United States, which acted as an effective replacement to the Lavi.<ref>Haglund 1989, p. 215.</ref> It was reported that China and South Africa were interested in continuing with the development of the Lavi.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gee|first=John|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-1277613831|title=Has Israel's U.S.-Funded Lavi Jet Been Reborn as China's J-10 Warplane?|work=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|date=1 April 2007}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}</ref>

===Aftermath and legacy===
When the Lavi project was canceled in 1987, a total of five airframes had been manufactured. Prototypes B-01 and B-02 had been completed, while B-03, B-04, and B-05 were incomplete. Parts from B-01 and B-02 were pulled to complete B-03. The gutted airframe of B-02 was subsequently placed on static display at the Israeli Air Force museum at [[Hatzerim Airbase]]; the remaining units, B-01, B-04 and B-05, were all ultimately scrapped.<ref>[http://cloud.prohosting.com/hud607/uncommon/aircraft/lavi/index.html Israel Aircraft Industries: Lavi] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701050114/http://cloud.prohosting.com/hud607/uncommon/aircraft/lavi/index.html |date=1 July 2007 }}</ref> Two years after the project's cancelation, IAI completed the third Lavi prototype (B-03), which made its first flight on 25 September 1989.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kaplan|first=Kenneth|title=Test Flight For Third Lavi Prototype|newspaper=Jerusalem Post|date=26 September 1989}}</ref> B-03 proceeded to serve as a [[technology demonstrator]] and as a flying testbed for various internal IAI development projects; the aircraft saw later use as a ground testbed as well.<ref name ="farley 22"/>

[[File:IAILavi001.jpg|thumb|A preserved IAI Lavi being displayed during a celebration of [[Yom Ha'atzmaut|Israel's independence]] in 2007]]
While the Lavi project had been terminated without any production aircraft being produced, the development represented an important opportunity to demonstrate and advance the capabilities of Israel's aerospace industry. Many of the aircraft's subsystems, avionics, and components went on to be developed and made commercially available, fueling defense export sales and proving to be a lucrative business in its own right.<ref>"IAI Fills Gaps Left by Lavi". ''Jerusalem Post'', 4 July 1990.</ref> The [[EL/M-2032]] [[pulse doppler]] radar, which had originally been developed for use on the Lavi is one such example; it has since been exported and equipped upon a wide range of operational aircraft.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lockheed-martin-will-offer-elta-radar-for-israeli-air-force-32076/ "Lockheed Martin will offer Elta radar for Israeli air force F-16."] ''Flight International'', 28 January 1998.</ref><ref>[http://www.iai.co.il/sip_storage/files/0/38030.pdf "Multimode Airborne Fire Control Radar - EL/M-2032."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517044140/http://www.iai.co.il/Sip_Storage/FILES/0/38030.pdf |date=17 May 2017 }} ''IAI Elta'', Retrieved: 24 September 2016.</ref>

Despite the Lavi's cancellation, the investment in its development had significant results. The technological knowledge accumulated during the development contributed to the achievement of Israel's [[Ofeq|first launch]] of a satellite into space in 1988. It resulted in a new level in [[avionics]] systems, and contributed to [[Science and technology in Israel|Israel's high-tech]] boom of the 1990s by releasing into the [[Israeli economy|economy]] the technological talents of around 5,000 Israeli scientists and engineers<!--1,500 engineers, according to Senor and Singer 2009--> who had been employed on this one project; many, for example, were reemployed on the [[Arrow (Israeli missile)|Arrow]] [[anti-ballistic missile]] program.<ref>Senor and Singer 2009, pp. 181–183.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |first=Duncan L.|last=Clarke|jstor=4328717 |title=The Arrow Missile: The United States, Israel and Strategic Cooperation |journal=Middle East Journal |publisher=Middle East Institute |volume=48 |issue=3 |page=477 |date=Summer 1994  }}</ref>

In July 2013, the IAF announced that the [[Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master]], an advanced trainer aircraft that it was in the process of procuring at the time, would receive the name Lavi in Israeli service; a total of 30 M-346s are to be operated by the service from 2014.<ref>Egozi, Arie. [http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/israels-lavi-reborn-as-renamed-m-346-387862/ "Israel's Lavi reborn as renamed M-346."] ''Flight International'', 2 July 2013.</ref><ref>Dombe, Ami Rojkes. [http://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/content/israeli-defense-ministry-received-last-lavi-jet-trainer "Israeli Defense Ministry Received the Last 'LAVI' Jet Trainer."] ''Israel Defense'', 8 June 2016.</ref>

===China question===
[[File:Chengdu J-10 - 殲-10.jpg|thumb|The [[Chengdu J-10]], featuring a very comparable configuration to the Lavi and having a disputed association to the Israeli development.]]
In 2008, aviation publishing house [[Jane's]] alleged that China's development of the [[Chengdu J-10]] had benefited from technical information from the Lavi project, citing Russian engineers who claim to have heard this from Chinese colleagues.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hewson|first=Robert|url=http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw080519_2_n.shtml|year=2008|publisher=[[Jane's]]|title= Chinese J-10 'benefited from the Lavi project'|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526183625/http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw080519_2_n.shtml |archive-date=26 May 2008}}</ref> In 2007, the J-10's designer, [[Song Wencong]] (宋文骢), denied any connection with the Lavi, pointing to similarities with the [[Chengdu J-9]] developed in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web |title=完全原创--专访歼10总设计师宋文骢院士[图]|trans-title=Exclusive Interview with J-10 General Designer Song Wencong|language=zh |year = 2007| url=http://military.china.com/zh_cn/news/568/20070105/13858504.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108224302/https://military.china.com/zh_cn/news/568/20070105/13858504.html|archive-date=8 January 2007}}</ref> This was echoed by [[PLAAF]] major Zhang Weigang in a 2012 interview.<ref>{{cite web|title=少将驳斥"战机抄袭论"：歼-10源自于歼-9 |year=2012 |url=http://www.hrjs.net/article/zhongguo/2012/0309/681.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221143851/http://www.hrjs.net/article/zhongguo/2012/0309/681.html |archive-date=21 February 2013  }}</ref>  There have been no public statements or formal claims along those lines; by 2000, however, advanced technology transfer to China of any origin had become anathema to the US,<ref>Adelman, Jonathan. [http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp473.htm "The Phalcon Sale to China: The Lessons For Israel".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308122426/http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp473.htm |date=8 March 2017 }} ''Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs'', Retrieved 27 September 2007.</ref> which forced Israel to cancel a sale of [[EL/M-2075|Phalcon]] airborne early warning planes.

==Design==
===Overview===
[[File:Zz-002.JPG|thumb|Forward fuselage of an IAI Lavi]]

The IAI Lavi was a single-seat, single-engine multirole fighter aircraft, principally designed to conduct high-speed penetration and first-pass bombing missions while maintaining a high level of manoeuvrability and survivability.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> The Lavi was almost 1,300&nbsp;kg lighter in empty weight than its contemporary F-16 block 30 (7,030 vs 8,300&nbsp;kg).<ref>Vassilios Sitaras, The unknown history of the IAI Lavi, PTISI (FLIGHT) magazine special history issue N.5, fall 2004, (in Greek)</ref>

It was envisioned that the Lavi's lifecycle costs would be considerably beneath those of the F-16. Efforts were also made to achieve a lower procurement cost as well.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> Like the F-16, the Lavi was an aerodynamically unstable aircraft, employing a quadruplex-redundant digital [[fly-by-wire]] system in order to provide stability and control; this was one of the aircraft's more innovative features.<ref name = "fleming 237"/>

The Lavi was powered by a single [[Pratt & Whitney PW1120]] [[turbofan]] engine, capable of generating 20,260&nbsp;lb of thrust and enabling the aircraft to attain a maximum speed of [[Mach number|Mach]] 1.85.<ref name = "fleming 237">Fleming 1983, p. 237.</ref> The engine, which was derived from the [[Pratt & Whitney F100]] that powered the F-16, was the only aspect of the aircraft that Eine acknowledged to have created a dependency upon the US. While carrying eight 750&nbsp;lb bombs the Lavi possessed a combat radius of 250 nmi; an alternative armament of 2,000&nbsp;lb bombs enabled a 650 nmi combat radius.<ref name = "fleming 237"/> Possessing a 1.1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio while equipped with a combat payload, the airframe of the Lavi was designed to be capable of routinely withstanding up to 9[[g-force|g]].<ref name = "fleming 237"/>

===Airframe===
The Lavi employed a mainly traditional airframe, the majority of development focus being upon the avionics and systems to provide the aircraft's performance edge instead.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> In order to meet the low structural weight requirements imposed, the use of [[composite material]]s was employed in elements such as the wing and its substructure, as well as the fin and the skin. The forward [[fuselage]] was shaped in a manner that resulted in it naturally directing air into the engine intake and to avoid inlet blanking while flown at a [[Slip (aerodynamics)#Sideslip|sideslip]] condition.<ref name = "fleming 236"/>

===Avionics===
[[File:Lavi air intake.jpg|thumb|upright|Closeup view of the Lavi's supersonic air [[intake]] with [[Splitter plate (aeronautics)|splitter plate]]]]

According to Eine, the Lavi's main area of advancement over its contemporaries was the level of integration of avionics and onboard electronics; it was claimed that the Lavi was "more computerised than any other system in the world".<ref name = "fleming 236 237">Fleming 1983, pp. 236-237.</ref> A key innovation was the use of a quadruplex-redundant digital [[fly-by-wire]] flight control system, which was co-developed by [[Lear Siegler]] and IAI. If it had been brought into service, the Lavi may have become the first operational aircraft to employ fully digital flight controls.<ref name = "fleming 237"/>

IAI subsidiary [[Elta Systems|Elta]] held responsibility for the [[electronic warfare]] self-protection systems.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> These are claimed to have been capable of rapid threat identification and automated response, incorporating a suite of active and passive [[countermeasure]]s, such as power-managed noise and deception [[Radar jamming and deception|jamming]] systems. Both podded and internal countermeasures were to be used.<ref name = "fleming 236"/> Elta also developed the [[EL/M-2032]] [[Doppler radar|Doppler]] multi-mode radar for the Lavi, which was equipped with a programmable signal processor and was capable of various air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, including high-resolution mapping, [[Terrain awareness and warning system|terrain avoidance]], and [[look-down/shoot-down]] functionality.<ref name = "fleming 237"/>

==Specifications (Lavi)==
[[File:Tail of IAI Lavi.jpg|right|thumb|IAI Lavi on display in [[Beer-Sheva]]]]
[[File:Lavi engine PW1120 DSCN4242.JPG|thumb|Pratt & Whitney PW1120 turbojet engine]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Wilson<ref name=Wilson>Wilson 2000, p.&nbsp;78.</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|length m=14.57
|length note=
|span m=8.78
|span note=
|height m=4.78
|height note=
|wing area sqm=33
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=<!--'''root:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA ]]; '''tip:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA ]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>-->
|empty weight kg=7031
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=9991
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=19277
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney PW1120]]
|eng1 type=afterburning [[turbofan]]
|eng1 kn=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 lbf=<!-- jet/rocket engines -->
|eng1 note=
|eng1 kn-ab=91.5
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=1965
|max speed note=
|max speed mach= 1.6
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=3700
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=15240
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=254
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=303.2
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|thrust/weight=0.94
|more performance=<!--<br />
*'''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Take-off run to {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt||m|0}}
*'''Landing run from {{cvt|15|m|0}}:''' {{cvt||m|0}}-->
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns= 1 × [[30 mm caliber|30 mm]] [[DEFA cannon]]
|hardpoint capacity=7,260 kg (16,000 lb) of stores

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Israel|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
|similar aircraft=
* [[CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder]]
* [[Chengdu J-10]]
* [[Dassault Rafale]]
* [[Eurofighter Typhoon]]
* [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]]
* [[General Dynamics F-16XL]]
* [[HAL Tejas]]
* [[AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo]]
* [[Mitsubishi F-2]]
* [[Novi Avion]]
* [[Saab JAS 39 Gripen]]
}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|}}
* Farley, John. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1991/1991%20-%200188.html ''Vision of the Future''.] ''Flight International'', 29 January 1991. pp.&nbsp;22–25.
* Fleming, Charles. [https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1983/1983%20-%201330.PDF "IAI Lavi: custom-built for Israel."] ''Flight International'', 30 July 1983. pp.&nbsp;236-.
* Haglund, David G. ''The Defence Industrial Base and the West''. Routledge, 1989. {{ISBN|0-4150-0923-5|}}.
* Hunter, Jane. ''Israeli Foreign Policy: South Africa and Central America''. South End Press, 1987. {{ISBN|0-8960-8285-7|}}.
* Rabinovich, Itamar and Haim Shaked. ''Middle East Contemporary Survey: Volume XI – 1987''. Westview Press, 1989. {{ISBN|0-8133-0925-5|}}.
* Senor, Dan and Singer, Saul. ''Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle''. Hachette Book Group, 2009. {{ISBN|0-446-54146-X|}}.
* Van Creveld, Martin. ''The Sword and the Olive: A Critical History of the Israeli Defense Force''. PublicAffairs, 2008. {{ISBN|0-7867-2546-X|}}.
* Wilson, Stewart. ''Combat Aircraft since 1945''. Fyshwick, Australia: Aerospace Publications, 2000. {{ISBN|1-875671-50-1|}}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{External media|topic= |width=14% |float=right |video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSnxXG-qdQE Assorted footage of IAI Lavi prototypes during various flights] |video2=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNJccWgDl10 Video of Lavi development activities and its first flight] |video3=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59wkZBadvew Summarisation of the Lavi's development history]}}
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/3fal90.htm "The United States and the LAVI"] by Col [[James DeLoughry]], USAF, Federation of American Scientists
* [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/lavi.html "Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Lavi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112072220/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_%26_Culture/lavi.html |date=12 January 2017 }} by Ruud Deurenberg, Jewish Virtual Library
* [https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/271289/killing-the-lavi “Killing the Lavi: Tracing the unintended consequences of the fateful 1987 cancellation of Israel’s largest single weapons development program”] by John W. Golan, ''[[Tablet (magazine)|Tablet]]''

{{IAI aircraft}}
{{F-16 Fighting Falcon variants}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iai Lavi}}
[[Category:Israel Aerospace Industries aircraft|Lavi]]
[[Category:Canard aircraft]]
[[Category:Delta-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:1980s Israeli fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Science and technology in Israel]]
[[Category:Single-engined jet aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1986]]
[[Category:Israel–United States military relations]]
[[Category:Fourth-generation jet fighters]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]