Israel has approved the purchase of two more squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA

Each squadron includes about 25 aircraft. The total value of the transactions is estimated at tens of billions of shekels. In addition to the aircraft themselves, the contracts include their integration into the Air Force, the creation of a maintenance infrastructure, the supply of spare parts, training of flight and technical personnel, as well as long-term logistics support.

The Defense Ministry said the purchase will be the first stage of a ten-year program to strengthen the armed forces with a budget of about 350 billion shekels. The new aircraft should ensure that the Israeli Air Force maintains its qualitative superiority and enhances its ability to counter regional threats. A significant portion of the funding will come from American military assistance.

Currently, the IDF Air Force has 48 F-35I aircraft in service, including the only aircraft of this modification outside the United States intended for flight testing. Israel has ordered a total of 75 F-35I fighters. The Air Force operates three F-35I squadrons: two combat squadrons – the 140th “Golden Eagle” and the 116th “Lions of the South”, as well as the training 117th “First Jet”.