From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Israel signs deal to buy 12 Apache helicopters from US’s Boeing
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Israel has signed a deal with the United States to procure 12 Apache helicopters for the Israeli Air Force, the Defense Ministry announces.
The deal is signed after the government this morning approved transferring a billion shekels to the Defense Ministry for the procurement.
Under the deal, US manufacturer Boeing will supply the Israeli Air Force with 12 AH-64E Apaches, with delivery starting at the beginning of the 2030s.
The ministry says the Apaches will be the “Echo” variant, the newest and most advanced model of the helicopter.
Defense Minister Israel Katz hails the procurement, calling it a “critical step in the IDF’s force buildup, one that will strengthen its operational capabilities against a wide range of threats and contribute to the security of the State of Israel in the years to come.”
IAF officials have previously said that the procurement of the Apache helicopters comes following lessons learned from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught and the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
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