06 December 2012, possibly because of the bad economy in Israel, but investigators now believe that Israeli Defense Force (IDF) personnel are involved in the theft of engines for F-15 and F-16 aircraft. The engines might have been sold to scrap metal dealers.
The theft of engines took place at Tel Nof air base, near Rehovot, last year.
This is not the only time parts for U.S. made aircraft were stolen. Last year police raided a scrap metal warehouse in Tel Aviv. It was full of new parts for U.S. made F-15 and F-16 aircraft.
Also, IDF ground forces have revealed that in the past few months several vehicles and at least 1,500 tank rounds went missing from an army base in southern Israel.
The economy is really bad in Israel, and has led to numerous strikes and protests. The most recent strike involved nurses who said Israeli hospitals are full of sick people who are not being treated due to the fact that there is no money to hire more staff.