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Thursday, February 5, 2026
Defense Ministry inks $130m deal with Elbit for ‘advanced technologies’ for Air Force’s heavy choppers
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Defense Ministry says it has signed a NIS 400 million ($130 million) deal with Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit for advanced systems for the Israeli Air Force’s future delivery of heavy helicopters.
A first batch of the 12 new Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion choppers are expected to be delivered by the end of this year, following a deal signed in 2021 between Israel and the United States and the manufacturer’s parent company, Lockheed Martin.
The CH-53K King Stallion, known in the IAF as the Pereh, will replace Israel’s aging fleet of CH-53 Sea Stallion choppers, known as the Yasur. The Yasur choppers have been in use for over half a century and have seen a number of maintenance issues in recent years.
As part of preparations for receiving the Pereh helicopters, the ministry says it signed a $130 million deal with Elbit Systems to “integrate advanced Israeli technologies,” including command and control, avionics, electronic warfare, and advanced anti-missile systems on the 12 new choppers.
The new helicopters are “currently in the assembly process at the main production facility in Connecticut,” the ministry says, adding that “upon completion of assembly, the helicopters are expected to move to a dedicated installation and production line established for adapting the American-configuration helicopters to Israeli systems tailored to the operational requirements defined by the Israeli Air Force.”
“The integration of Israeli systems is expected to enhance the cockpit environment, enable flight in challenging conditions, and support the identification of safe landing zones and obstacles,” the ministry adds.
The Times of Israel Community.