Lavi: Israel's Lost Winged Lion

The development of this book was a journey that spanned decades: collecting details from published sources, piecing together elements of the story, and combining them with an engineer's perspective into the aircraft design process.  It has been immensely satisfying to witness it finally coming together in print.

Coming to bookstores in January 2016.


Background

From 1980 to 1987, the Lavi fighter was the largest weapons development effort ever undertaken by the State of Israel - either before or since. Far from being just another weapons program, the Lavi became a microcosm for both the U.S.-Israel relationship, and for Israeli society itself - a study in the ambitions, fears, and internal divisions that have shaped each of them. It is a story whose breadth and significance has never been fully told - until now.

Lavi traces the evolution of Israel’s Lavi fighter program from the conceptual studies which preceded it during the 1970s, up through the program’s cancellation in August of 1987, and beyond – to examine its ramifications for policy makers today. Most importantly, this narrative places in context this chain of events, exploring the societal and strategic pressures which shaped the Lavi’s development, and the political battlefield on which it eventually fell.


Advance Praise

“A fascinating read, Lavi includes multiple books in one, discussing the tactical reasons leading to the development of the Lavi; examining the evolving political and budget intrigue leading to its cancellation; and offering a detailed technical analysis of the Lavi versus its alternatives. An important addition to Middle East aviation history."

Lon O. Nordeen, author of Air Warfare in the Missile Age and Fighters over Israel and commentator on the History Channel.


Book Reviews

An "excellent book" that "describes the Byzantine intricacies that were involved in mustering the one-vote majority for the cancellation of the Lavi. . . . And for those interested, the book contains an appendix explaining the fundamentals of fighter aircraft design."

Moshe Arens, Jerusalem Post Magazine
Former Israeli Defense Minister, Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the United States

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