Could Israel once again build its own combat aircraft? The legacy of the LaviThe debate inevitably recalls the Lavi, Israel’s indigenous fighter aircraft program of the 1980s. The Lavi was intended to become the Israeli Air Force’s standard fighter and one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft at the turn of the century. The program officially began in February 1980, when the Israeli government authorized the Air Force to define the technical requirements for its future fighter aircraft. Looking beyond manned fightersA senior Israeli defense source said that Israel already possesses most of the technological building blocks required to develop an advanced unmanned combat aircraft.