Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Ministry signed a $5.2 billion deal on November 6 to procure F-15IA fighter jets, the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX, from the United States.
The deal includes 25 F-15IA jets, produced by Boeing, with options for 25 more. The deal will be financed by U.S. military aid to Israel. Under the deal, the jets will be supplied to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in batches of four to six a year, starting in 2031.
In a statement, the Israeli Defense Ministry said that the new fighter jets will be “equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, including the integration of state-of-the-art Israeli technologies.”
“The upgraded aircraft will feature enhanced range capabilities, increased payload capacity, and improved performance across various operational scenarios. These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East,” the ministry added.
The deal with the U.S. came as Israel continues its war against the Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip, where over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed so far. It also came as Israel was expanding operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where another 3,000 people have been killed.
Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director general, noted in the statement that since the beginning of the war Israel has secured nearly $40 billion worth of procurement agreements.
The additional fighter jets will bolster the offensive capabilities of the IAF, which currently operates over 60 F-15s in addition to over 170 F-16s and some 39 F-35s.
The IAF remains the keystone of Israel’s military strategy. Over the last year, Israel used its superior aerial capabilities against most of its enemies, from Gaza, to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and even against Iran twice.
The F-15 deal, which is in reality a free grant, shows how the U.S. continues to provide unwavering support to Israel despite the rising death toll of its ongoing multi-front war and growing accusations of human rights violations and war crimes.
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schlomo logic: we will be air striking our way to an imagined victory
and the jews have the money for such a buy – of course not but the american tax payer can be milked some more by the poofs in the white house.
what? … no f-35? … i wonder why :-)
for those interested the 40 billion will come from usa taxpayers the wording and purchasing agreements are just subterfuge for looting americans for zionist aggression
delivery of the first planes in 2031, lol
will there be israel in 2031?!!