Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 18, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Three more F-35 fighter jets land in Israel, bringing IAF’s fleet to 48
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A new F-35 fighter jet at the Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, on January 18, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
Three new F-35I fighter jets landed in Israel earlier today, the military says, bringing the number of fifth-generation stealth aircraft that the Israeli Air Force has in its arsenal to 48.
The three fighter jets traveled from the United States to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel, where they will join the IAF’s 116th and 140th squadrons.
The three are part of Israel’s initial order of 50 F-35 jets, and the move is unrelated to the ongoing tensions with Iran. Another 25 F-35s were ordered from US defense contractor Lockheed Martin in 2024, and are expected to be delivered starting in 2028.
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