Israel approves purchase from US of 2 more squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets

Israel will procure two more squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets, following lessons learned from the recent Iran war, the Defense Ministry announces.

Over the weekend, Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Procurement approved a Defense Ministry plan to acquire a fourth F-35I squadron from Lockheed Martin, and a second F-15IA squadron from Boeing, in deals that are valued at tens of billions of shekels.

The ministry says the jets “will serve as a cornerstone of the IDF’s long-term force development, addressing evolving regional threats and preserving Israel’s strategic air superiority.”

Following the committee’s approval, Defense Ministry director general Amir Baram instructed the ministry’s mission to the US to “move forward with finalizing the agreements with American government and military counterparts in the coming period.”

The aircraft will eventually bring the Israeli Air Force’s F-35i fleet to 100 and F-15IA — the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX — fleet to 50 in the coming years.

Currently, Israel has 48 F-35I jets, following an initial order of 50. Another 25 F-35s were ordered in 2023, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2028. Israel ordered 25 F-15IA jets in 2024, and the first are expected to be delivered starting in 2031.

Defense Minister Israel Katz says that the recent war in Iran “once again demonstrated the Israeli Air Force’s power and its decisive role in protecting Israel.”

“The lessons of that campaign require us to keep pressing forward on force buildup, to ensure air superiority for decades to come,” he says.